Tweeters:

Managed a evening visit to Fir I. last night (Sept. 13) and found some nice
shorebirds, although it still seems a down year compared to some recent
ones. Still, the most notable was a BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER that
accomodatingly hung around till dark at the Hayden (Snow Goose) Preserve of
the Skagit WMA. It was in the company of several Killdeer and a smattering
of peep, including one late SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER (a species scarcer this
year than most), on the plowed field next to the entrance road.
Buff-breasteds have been found more often in recent years; there are now
about 5-6 county records.

The other shorebird surprise was BAIRD'S SANDPIPER--I had 3 at Jensen but
was then amazed by a flock of 117--that's right, 117--a the 90-degree bend
in the Fir I-La Conner Road, right by the Jensen access and the Snow Goose
Fruit stand. These birds were quite close to the road, but were amazingly
inconspicuous in the ridges of a plowed field right next (east) to the
90-degree turn. This is an all-time high for Skagit County; the previous
high was just 17, but judging from Vancouver, BC area counts, we should have
expected a higher count sooner or later. I just had not figured on this
year, since the species has been downright scarce otherwise, I found none
during July or August.

COM. SNIPE were also on the move at Hayden, with 6 there, and off Jensen
there was a very early 1st-winter HERRING GULL in the Calif-RB Gull hordes,
and a molting EARED GREBE far out on the bay; I figured about 75 HORNED
GREBES were scattered through a large scoter flock. There were many AM.
PIPITS in the area; I had 100 along Maupin Rd just n.w. of Jensen; while
trying to pick out a rarity, I did witness an impressive black MERLIN kill
of a pipit. The raptor came in low and seemed to surprise a swirling flock;
after the kill, about 40 pipits followed the MERLIN loosely in a northward
direction, as if to say goodbye! Strange.

In a morning walk around our Lake Stevens property I was similarly aware of
the season, with several migrants and new arrivals around. Among them were
a BAND-TAILED PIGEON, single PACIFIC-SLOPE and WILLOW FLYCATCHERS (the
latter our latest here), two RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS (our earliest here), and
our first downslope VARIED THRUSH of the season; there were also several
returning DARK-EYED JUNCOS and a couple ORANGE-CR. WARBLERS. Lastly,
mid-morning brought a flight of about 8 VAUX'S SWIFTS in nearby downtown
Lake Stevens.

Ah, isn't September great?

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

_________________________________________________________________
Get 10MB of e-mail storage! Sign up for Hotmail Extra Storage.
http://join.msn.com/?PAGE=features/es