Hi, Tweets

Ann van der Geld and I spent the day wandering around the Samish and Skagit
Flats, of course hoping for the gyr and anything else raptorial and goosey.
With weather like today how could anything be bad! At the West 90, we set
up scopes, looked around and counted eagles and harriers, retired to the
car to eat lunch, out to check again, and then rather dejectedly drove out
of the parking area . . . to be confronted by a gorgeous bird at the top of
a utility pole!! I had no idea the gyr was so white - with proper gyr
speckling, of course - but he sat there mostly ignoring us while we sat
just under his pole. Now, I just hope my photos turn out!

As far as geese, I think the whole snow goose population was in the fields
just where the bridge goes over the water as you leave Fir Island. A
disinterested bald eagle was circling nearby and the geese were honking,
flying back and forth, and putting on a wonderful show. I'm not sure what
our winter snow goose population is, but there were well over 10,000 birds
milling about. Great sounds!

Our rather sketchy tally for the day is:

Bald Eagle: 43+ adults, 45+ immatures
Redtail: 28+
Northern Harrier: 16 imm/females, 2 males, and perhaps more
Roughleg: 3
Gyrfalcon: 1
T Swans (too distant): 12
Snow Geese: 10,000+++
Ravens: 4
Ring-necked Pheasant: 1 male
Great Blue Heron: 200+
Dunlin off of Jensen's Access

Yes, there were lots of ducks and lots of LBJ's but we didn't spend a lot
of time on them.
A really great day!

Cheers, Diann

_____________________
Diann MacRae
Olympic Vulture Study
22622 - 53rd Avenue S.E.
Bothell, WA 98021
tvulture at vei.net
http://users.vei.net/tvulture/