Sunday afternoon (11/10/02) I birded in Skagit County with Mary Klein. We
stopped at the Skagit Wildlife Headquarters at about 1:30PM and in a few
minutes were rewarded with stellar views of the ORANGE BISHOP. It was at
the entrance to the parking lot near the boat launch. Occasionally it would
fly into the adjacent corn field. This bird is so bright, you can almost
see it with your eyes closed. Good long scope looks allowed us to view the
extra long tail coverts, and finally even the tail feathers themselves.

Other birds at this location included a fly over of 30 dowitchers and at
least 50 CEDAR WAXWINGS. In a plowed field along Mann Road were many
KILLDEER with a few AMERICAN PIPITS.

After all this, it was crepuscular time, so we pointed the car in the
direction of Rawlins Road. At the end of this road as the light waned we
observed 3 hunting SHORT-EARED OWLS. Two AMERICAN BITTERNS flew in the
distance, possibly flushed by the low flying owls.

Marv Breece
Seattle, WA