This report was mailed for Wayne Weber by http://birdnotes.net

Date: April 21, 2003
Location: Padilla Bay, Skagit County, Washington

Low temperature: 14 degrees celsius High temperature: 14 degrees
celsius
Wind direction: Variable
Prevailing wind speed: 1-5 km/h
Percentage of sky covered by clouds: 100%
Precipitation: none

The following birds were observed by Wayne Weber between about 5:30
and 7:00 PM on April 21, 2003 on the east and north sides of March
Point, Skagit County, WA (west side of Padilla Bay).

The tide was out, with very extensive exposed muflats, when I
arrived. It was reflooding rapidly, but was still a long way from
high tide when I left the area.

This was probably my first visit in over 20 years to March Point, a
spot that I used to bird regularly (often with field trips from
Vancouver, BC) in the late 1960s and 1970s.

The birding was below my expectations-- NO shorebirds were seen, in
part because the tide was so far out. However, there were good
numbers of COMMON LOONS, GREAT BLUE HERONS, BRANT, and BUFFLEHEADS, as
well as a sizable flock of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS on the east side of
March Point.


Birds seen (in taxonomic order):

Common Loon 40 [1]
Western Grebe 8
Great Blue Heron 80 [2]
Canada Goose 3
Brant 800 [3]
American Wigeon 50
Northern Pintail 300
Green-Winged Teal 200
Greater Scaup 100
Surf Scoter 20
Bufflehead 150
Red-breasted Merganser 5
Bald Eagle 3 [4]
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Mew Gull 10
Glaucous-winged Gull 500 [5]
Pigeon Guillemot 4
Northwestern Crow 10
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 1
Black-capped Chickadee 1
Bewick's Wren 2
American Robin 30
European Starling 50
Yellow-rumped Warbler 25 [6]
Spotted Towhee 3
Savannah Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 4
White-crowned Sparrow 2
Red-winged Blackbird 8
Brewer's Blackbird 10
House Finch 6
House Sparrow 10

Footnotes:

[1] Common Loon-- in several flocks off tip of point
[2] Great Blue Heron-- mostly foraging on Padilla Bay tideflats
[3] Brant-- in large flocks, mostly far out on Padilla Bay
[4] Bald Eagle-- all adults
[5] Glaucous-winged Gull-- most of these on dredge islands next to
Swinomish Channel, apparently on territory
[6] Yellow-r. Warbler-- in one flock in wooded area; estimated 15
Audubon's, 10 Myrtle

Total number of species seen: 33