Hi tweets,

I decided I needed to take a break from everything
today and so I got out and did some birding this
morning after sleeping in (note: sleeping in is not
recommended if you want to see lots of birds ;-)

My first stop was at C Post Road off Hwy 530 east of
Arlington. There were at least two singing male
American Redstarts observed at this location and
possibly a third, although a helicopter came by flying
very low and stayed right over the bridge for a couple
of minutes and when it flew off everything had gone
into hiding. A stop on the bridge itself revealed a
single Bank Swallow with 3 or 4 Rough-winged Swallows
as well as Tree and Violet-Green. I have found this
to be a fairly good spot for Bank Swallows in past
years. There were lots of warblers around, especially
singing Black-throated Gray Warblers. In addition
just north of the bridge there were 2 Hammond's
Flycatchers and 1 Dusky Flycatcher singing.

I continued up to the Mt. Higgins trailhead and
explored some of the logging roads in this area but
did not find anything else particularly noteable
except for lots of good habitat.

I stopped by the Fortson Mill Pond and there was
absolutely nothing on the pond, but I quickly found a
nice flock of migrants. Lots of Wilson's and Yellow
Warblers, several Black-throated Grays and about a
dozen Western Tanagers. There was also a single
American Redstart heard but not seen at this location.

After making some other stops I finished the day at
the prison dairy ponds in Monroe. Another good
bird... there was a single Black Tern amidst the
swallows and the other usual suspects.

Despite the weather, it was a good day for birds.

Michael Dossett
Bothell, WA
Phainopepla at yahoo.com



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