Tweets

I feel Carol Schulz should not apologize anymore or retract the ID of the swallows we saw at the Skagit headquarters on Sunday 2/10/02. I went back today and searched, but no swallows were to be seen. However, I talked to a lady from Arlington who had been also been there on Sunday. She said she thought she had seen a Tree Swallow but was only going to count it as a swallow sp. until she talked to a couple in the parking lot who asked her if she had seen the Tree Swallow. This makes three separate sightings. Unfortunately, none of us took pictures.

Today in the same area where we saw the swallows on Sunday, I saw three Pine Grosbeak in an alder tree. All with the gray/russet plumage. Within 100 feet of this alder was a tree with berries (Hawthorn?) that had a total of 26 Common Redpoll after a two flocks combined. There was one male with the beautiful deep pink wash down over its breast. As if the were not enough, there was a Merlin at the top of conifer tree near the gate on the gated section of this road.

At Kraig Kemper's silage pile at Samish, I did not refind the Wilson's Warbler that we saw on Sunday, however, a Sharp-shinned Hawk came in apparently looking for lunch on the smaller pile that appears to be a poop pile rather than silage (we birders must discern between the two from time to time). It really searched the top of this pile quite well. I wondered if it was hearing the Audubon squeaker that I was using and thought it had a trapped bird nearby. Before it came in, there had been a large flock of juncos and sparrows feeding on the silage pile. The sparrows had really reacted to this squeaker when I used it on Sunday. The Sharp-shin did not appear to be concerned about my presence. It only about 30 feet away and 5 feet off the ground. This is a sighting that I shall not forget for long time!
Irene Potter, Tacoma
isparrow at msn.com