Subject: Raptorland on the Skagit and Samish Flats
Date: Feb 8 10:11:16 2004
From: Rob Sandelin - floriferous at msn.com


Went out yesterday, my students must have been detered by the morning rain
as none showed for our meeting, so I got a solo trip around the Fir Island,
Edison routes. By 10 am at Game HQ, the sun had come out and I watched the
coopers Hawk in full sun preen itself occasionally closing its eyes in what
I took as the pure enjoyment of the pleasure of the warmth of the sun on its
back. Bird of the day was a fabulous view of a saw-whet owl along the game
HQ trail. Aslo a barred owl there. For the day I counted 307 Birds of
Prey!!!!!! (Note: some were on the way up) 94 Bald Eagles, 112 Redtail
Hawks, 2 Gyr Falcons, 1 Ketrel, 1 Barred Owl, 1 Saw-whet owl, 19 Short Eared
Owls, 3 Merlins, 1 Harlans Red-tail, 4 Rough-legs, 68 Northern Harriers, 1
coopers hawk. At the West 90 at one time I counted 29 raptors. There must
be one heck of a lot of mouses for all them hawkes to eats. The west 90 was
an ongoing show as the Gyr would hassle and steal voles from the Short-eared
owls or from a rough-leg, and then have to duck and dive away from the
eagles who wanted to steal it further. Quite a fun show! I also counted 612
Swans but did not see a single snow goose on this day.

Rob Sandelin

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