Subject: [Tweeters] Skagit migrants, migrant Martins
Date: Aug 20 22:03:44 2005
From: Scott Atkinson - scottratkinson at hotmail.com


Tweeters:

The Skagit WMA main access off Wylie Rd was quite productive for migrants
this morning, including several of the county's less common breeders:

Turkey Vulture 2
BLACK SWIFT 1 (north side of loop trail)
Willow Flycatcher 8
Pacific-slope Flycatcher 2
RED-EYED VIREO 1 (north side of loop)
VIREO, SP. 1
BANK SWALLOW 1 (Maupin Rd among many Barn, V-G)
HOUSE WREN 1 (outermost loop trail near confluence at flats)
Swainson's Thrush 10
Orange-crowned Warbler 22
Yellow Warbler 13
MacGillivray's Warbler 1
Com. Yellowthroat 18
AM. REDSTART 1 (200 yds up trail from boat launch)
W. Tanager 3
LINCOLN'S SPARROW 1 (early first of season, outer loop)
BH Grosbeak 1

The VIREO, sp. was ostensibly just a WARBLING, but the one brief up-close
look left me lingering in the area for awhile hoping for another look, as
the bird had a gray cap that contrasted with olive-green back. I could not
see the throat, however. The AM. REDSTART was a singing (!) and amazingly
cooperative ad male that at times was low right along the edge of the trail
(slough side). This is only the second August record I know of for Fir I;
there was another in mid-August a number of years back near the Skagit City
farm pond. HOUSE WRENS have shown up a few other times in Aug-Sept at the
Game Range.

Also--I had migrant PURPLE MARTINS on Friday, Aug. 19--one at the north
parking lot of Discovery Park in Seattle, and another over the Marysville
Middle School. On both occasions the birds were in swallow flocks singly.
Also, a Vaux's Swift remains in the company in various swallows at the
latter site.

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