Saturday (8.27.05) I birded in and around Drayton Harbor in Blaine (Whatcom County). Shorebirds were not to be found at the Marina Park in Drayton Harbor, before or at high tide. I saw a few KILLDEER and a few WESTERN SANDPIPERS. There were many gulls and ducks. I saw one juv BONAPART'S GULL. There were also 20 plus COMMON TERNS.

Driving by California Creek, on the way to Semiahmoo Spit, the muddy banks looked pretty good and I recalled Victor Burgett's report of a Stilt Sandpiper from this location, so I followed the road up California Creek to investigate. There were GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS. About 4 dozen; mostly lesser. There was a single juv SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER. It's a very bright bird. I've never thought of a dowitcher as a particularly pretty bird, but this one was. There were a few LEAST and WESTERN SANDPIPERS, but no semi. A calling WESTERN TANAGER reminded me that shorebirds weren't the only attractions. But no stilt.

On the way around the harbor, towards Semiahmoo, there were 8 juv and adult SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS.

Sunday morning on my way south, I visited California Creek once more. All of the same birds from the day before were there, and this time also the juv STILT SANDPIPER. A quick drive by Birch Bay revealed 92 BONAPARTE'S GULLS and a single RED-NECKED GREBE, in alternate plumage. None of the bonies I saw had a black head.

Moving on to Skagit County, I stopped at the south access of the Padilla Bay Shore Trail. BARN SWALLOWS were as thick as mosquitos. Mixed in were 5 VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS and a single BANK SWALLOW. The bank allowed good looks, in flight and perched.

Thanks to Gary Bletsch for sharing Channel Drive, south of Hwy 20, hugging the channel to the east. There were 11 species of shorebird including 2 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, a juv STILT SANDPIPER, a juv PECTORAL SANDPIPER and a WILSON'S SNIPE.

A single TURKEY VULTURE circled overhead on Fir Island, signally the end of a pretty good week end.

Marv Breece
Seattle, WA