Tweeters:

Anne Winskie and I did our usual coverage of Fir I. yesterday, and the
birding was pretty hot at times. We started at the Game Range headquarters
for songbirds, which was quieter than a week ago. We still managed 6
warbler species, but just the usual and no high counts, Empids were
surprisingly absent. New arrivals since the 7th included one RUBY-CROWNED
KINGLET and 3 GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS.

At the first farm-residence on the west side of Wylie Rd., we got a brief
look at a juv. WESTERN KINGBIRD, our best bird of the day. It was perched
on a telephone wire on the south side of the building right along Wylie
before flying off southward. On our way to the Skagit City farm pond, we
had a flock of 20 VAUX'S SWIFTS mixed with swallows along the draw that
follows Dry Slough Rd., there was a TURKEY VULTURE perched on a snag east
along this road as well (and we had another near the Starbird Rd exit
heading home later). The farm pond was pretty quiet, just a couple
BLUE-WINGED and one CINNAMON TEAL.

Jensen was just flat-out loaded with shorebirds. Although unable to
relocate Marv's Buff-breasteds from the 7th, we had 15 species, the
highlights included two AM. GOLDEN-PLOVERS in a Black-bellied Plover flock;
the birds landed in a field just west of the access. We also had 13
PECTORAL, 2 BAIRD'S, and 1 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER. Perhaps the most
unexpected shorebird of the day, however, was a BLACK TURNSTONE which was
heard repeatedly near the edge of the mudflats but could not be seen. This
species is sporadic in Skagit County and almost always found at sites other
than Jensen.

Other species worthy of mention include a couple PEREGRINES and a notable
passage of BH COWBIRDS near the Game Range including about 50 in with
blackbirds, several birds in odd, patchy molting plumages. We were
surprised to find two BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES in the Tansy (Tanacetum
vulgare) and in other tall weeds right along the dike at Jensen, unlikely
habitat.

Swainson's Thrush night migration: also Saturday, early from about
5:45-6:20 am I estimated 25 SWAINSON'S THRUSHES heard flying southward in
night overflight over our place in Lake Stevens, usually heard singly but
twice sounding as if in a small group. Also heard overhead were 3 SAVANNAH
SPARROWS and 2 warbler, sp. (likely Orange-cr.).

Scott Atkinson
Lake Stevens
mail to: scottratkinson at hotmail.com



_________________________________________________________________
Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com