Subject: Census Count: Samish Flats, Skagit County, Washington on December 03, 2003
Date: Dec 14 00:09:24 2003
From: contopus at telus.net - contopus at telus.net


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

Date: December 3, 2003
Location: Samish Flats, Skagit County, Washington

Low temperature: 40 degrees fahrenheit High temperature: 45 degrees fahrenheit
Prevailing wind speed: 1-5 km/h
Percentage of sky covered by clouds: 0%
Precipitation: none

The following birds were observed by Wayne Weber between 12 noon and
3:00 PM on December 3, 2003. The area covered was the Samish Flats in
Skagit County, from Edison to and including the extreme south end of
Samish Island. The tide was very high during my visit.

I did not see any sign of the GYRFALCON which had been present in the
area for some time. Near Edison, I met and birded briefly with John
Deliduca from Leavenworth, WA, who had also been searching
unsuccessfully for the Gyrfalcon.

Viewing conditions were exceptional, with bright sunlight and almost
no wind, and glassy smooth water on Samish Bay. A flock of 2500
unidentified dabbling ducks was present far out on the bay, in
addition to those that were identified.

Two gray-phase EASTERN GRAY SQUIRRELS were seen along Scott Road on
Samish Island, and at least 3 PACIFIC TREE-FROGS were heard calling
at various points on the Samish Flats.

Birds seen (in taxonomic order):

Common Loon 4
Horned Grebe 5
Double-crested Cormorant 8
Great Blue Heron 6
Trumpeter Swan 82 [1]
Eurasian Wigeon 2 [2]
American Wigeon 1000
Mallard 400
Northern Pintail 50
Green-Winged Teal 200
Bufflehead 8
Common Goldeneye 6
Red-breasted Merganser 12
Bald Eagle 10
Northern Harrier 12 [3]
Red-tailed Hawk 9
Rough-legged Hawk 3 [4]
Merlin 1 [5]
American Coot 2
Black-bellied Plover 120
American Avocet 1 [6]
Dunlin 5000
Mew Gull 5
Glaucous-winged Gull 200
Rock Dove 10
Short-eared Owl 5 [7]
Belted Kingfisher 2
Northern Flicker 1
Northwestern Crow 5
Common Raven 8
Bewick's Wren 2
Marsh Wren 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
American Robin 3
European Starling 200
American Pipit 12
Spotted Towhee 4
Savannah Sparrow 3 [8]
Fox Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 8
Dark-eyed Junco 6
Red-winged Blackbird 100
Western Meadowlark 2
Brewer's Blackbird 15
House Finch 40
House Sparrow 12

Footnotes:

[1] TRUMPETER SWAN-- 12 out on Samish Bay, 70 in field east of
Highway 11 near Sunset Road
[2] EURASIAN WIGEON-- 2 males with American Wigeon in Alice Bay
[3] NORTHERN HARRIER-- 6 of these at and near the "Samish West 90".
[4] ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK-- One dark-phase bird perched on a telephone
pole near the "Samish East 90".
[5] MERLIN-- One chasing Dunlin flocks just west of Edison
[6] AMERICAN AVOCET-- One in winter plumage seen at the tip of the
spit projecting from the south side of Alice Bay (seen from
Scott Road on Samish Island). Seen at about 250 metres through
telescope. A large, long-legged shorebird with long, noticeably
upturned bill; mostly whitish (no rust color on head) but with
black-and-white pattern on wings. Spent most of time asleep, but
fed briefly in shallow water.
[7] SHORT-EARED OWL-- At least 5 seen in flight near the "Samish
West 90".
[8] SAVANNAH SPARROW-- 3 seen in a shrub at the "Samish East 90".

Total number of species seen: 46