Greetings
Today I took a trip into Skagit County with Fred Boesche and Douglas Runde.
What a great day it was. Had a couple of highlights in northern Snohomish
County before heading up and birding Skagit Flats, and finally enjoying some
chaotic raptor activity at the end of the day at West 90.

Wednesday, 28 January 2004 (8:45am-4:45pm)
Snohomish/Skagit County - 75 species.
Light showers; overcast; wind 5-10mph; 40-45F.

Norman Road, Stanwood (9:00-9:30)
Trumpeter Swan (20)
Cooper's Hawk (1)
Spotted Towhee (15)
Fox Sparrow (3)
Purple Finch (1)

Big Ditch, Snohomish Co (10:00-11:00)
Trumpeter Swan (100)
Horned Grebe (1)
Dunlin (10,000++)
Savannah Sparrow (1)
Lincoln's Sparrow (2)
SWAMP SPARROW (1)
SNOW BUNTING (55)
Purple Finch (3)

Fir Island/Skagit WMA, Skagit Co (11:30am-2:00pm)
Snow Goose (10,000+)
Trumpeter Swan (300)
Cooper's Hawk (2ad.): One still had yellow irides.
Hairy Woodpecker (1)
Northern Shrike (1ad.)
BARN SWALLOW (15)
Cedar Waxing (2)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (1-Aud., 1-Myr.)
White-crowned Sparrow (2-Gambell's)
Brown-headed Cowbird (4)
Purple Finch (5)
American Goldfinch (1)

Samish Flats/West 90 (2:45-4:45)
Trumpeter Swan (75)
Eurasian Wigeon (20): w/hundreds of AMWI.
Northern Harrier (50+): One with blue patagial marker on right wing.
Rough-legged Hawk (2: 1-light; 1-dark)
Harlan's Hawk (2): 1-Bayview-Edison Rd.; 1-Samish T.
GYRFALCON (1-1W gray): Amazingly efficient kleptoparasite on many NOHA.
Peregrine Falcon (2ad.)
Short-eared Owl (30+): What a show.
Savannah Sparrow (5)
Lincoln's Sparrow (1)

Cheers and good birding,
--
Charlie Wright
Sumner Wa
charlie at birdwright.com