Tweets,

Yesterday (Tue) Steve Dang and I headed up to Camano Island in hopes of locating migrating shorebirds not too far from N. Seattle and Bothell. Our first stop was English Bay, where Purple Martins were plentiful along with a few gulls (incl. Bonapartes), but there was nary a shorebird to be seen. Ditto for Iverson Spit, even though the tide was good and the mud looked inviting. There was just a clump of Caspian Terns and gulls--Californias, GWs, Ring-billed--and the usual passerines in the nearby shrubs and meadow. Nothin' much happening at the Maple Grove boat launch, either, except for lunch, a Mew Gull and an immature Bald Eagle at the nest. We were discussing what a disappointing shorebird day it was and how we would just have to bite the bullet next time and head for the coast, when we decided to drive down Boe Road to the Port Susan Nature Conservancy site. The dike is gated and "closed to the public," though a phone no. was listed. We scoped the ponds from the garage area and could see and hear lots of Gr. and L Yellowlegs. Noteworthy was a Great Egret in the close company of a GBH. Some young eco-workers appeared and upon our request, they called the listed phone no. We were easily granted access to the dike trail. The place delivered--scads and scads of Yellowlegs, LB Dowitchers (maybe some SBs), RN Phalaropes (4), a juvie Wilson's Phalarope, Least Sandpipers on the river side of the dike, Killdeer, several waterfowl species--Mallard, N. Shoveler, Bufflehead, GW Teal, PB Grebe--and a lovely Pectoral Sandpiper in the same scope view as a Yellowlegs and a Dowitcher. There were also a couple of Peregrines, RT Hawk and N. Harrier. It was the best part of the day, though eventually the afternoon sun did beat the heck out of us. And it was so good to finally score those shorebirds! To get access to the dike trail, you call Roger Fuller at (360) 419-0175.

Penny Koyama, Bothell
plkoyama at verizon.net