Hi Tweets -

A client and I spent the day birding the Snohomish and Skagit/Samish
areas today. We started out near Snohomish just after dawn. When we
first got to the area it was not really light enough to determine with
reliability what was hanging out. We scouted some of the roads and were
returning down Short School Road to the main part of the valley about 8
AM. We saw a slightly elongated "bump" on top of a telephone pole - it
turned out to be a merlin hiding behind the pole. After looking at six
Red-tailed Hawks in about a 1/2 mile, we were back in the vicinity of
the horse boarding property along Old Snohomish Monroe Rd and had
suspicious profile in to top of one of the snags out in the field.
Looking thru the scope it was the Gyrfalcon reported on the 13th. We got
great looks at its back and its head when it turned. Nice markings on
the back, and light line over the eye and faint moustachial mark. We
moved down the road and turned in along French Slough Road. From the
edge of the bridge over the slough (near the dairy farm) we had perfect,
but distant views of the Gyr. Nice white area over the beak,
superciliary stripe and moustachial mark, very white throat, white
breast and belley with dark marks and barring. Wonderful gray tones
overall on the bird. A nice adult (a lifer for my client), and two falcons.

We then headed up to the Skagit. We had numerous Red-tail Hawks along
the way, several Bald Eagles, a large field of Snow Geese (about
12,000). Along Maupin Road we both reacted to another "bump" on a for
sale sign on the road sign. It was a perched Short-eared Owl. We were
able to view it from about 35-40 feet away in great light. It flew,
circled around and perched on a mailbox behind us. Incredible views for
about 5 minutes when it flew.

As we came down Josh Wilson Road into Bayview we passed a female
American Kestrel on a wire, nice looks and falcon three. A brief stop at
Brazeal Interpretive Center with ducks and Brant out in Padilla Bay.

When we arrived up on the Samish Flats at the "T" (Bayview Edison
Rd/Samish Island Rd), old reliable the Prairie Falcon was snuggled up
next to the center poke on the crossarm. We turned to corner to get
better light on it and had great views of this nice bird - you guessed
it number 4.

Next we stopped at the West 90 and scanned the fields- Bald Eagles,
Red-tailed Hawks and Northern Harriers. Along Samish Island Road running
to the north we had three birds on cross arms - two Red-tails and the
third with an intriguing profile. The scope revealed a beautiful adult
Peregrine Falcon. Number Five!!! At 10:30 AM.

Later in the day we stopped at the old compost piles (near the corner
tavern at T-Loop & Allan West). While there the jillion Dark-eyed Juncos
and Song Sparrows all paniced and flew into the bushes. A nice Merlin
cruised over and perched on the top of a tree. I obligingly allowed us
to look at it thru the scope from all sides - really pretty bird.

The rest of the day we got looks at a variety of other birds, but
nothing spectacular. All in all a classic winter day.

Good Birding,

Brian H. Bell
Woodinville Wa
bellasoc at isomedia.com