I had a late start from Seattle to the Samish Flats and Fir Island today,
but the weather was sunny, cold, and nearly calm. Too much for me to resist.
I left around 11:30am. Shortly after crossing the Stillaguamish River, and
about a mile south of the I-5 exit for Stanwood, I think I saw a peregrine
eating something on a post in the median strip of the freeway. The post was
about 5-6 feet tall with a cross bar on top, much like the ones at the
raptor center at the Woodland Park Zoo. I've often wondered what that post
was for. I only had a brief glimpse at 70mph, with the sun almost in my
eyes, and no one else in the car to help me steer. The post is just north of
the crest of the uphill stretch from the bridge over the Stilly. It's such
an ideal perch that I thought I might see zoo staffers Tom or Gretchen
nearby.
At the West 90 it was very cold but calm; walking was slightly treacherous
due to the ice. I only saw one short eared owl, sitting on the ground to the
south near a hunting blind. A couple of rough legged hawks, perched. Many
harriers and eagles, several red tails, two meadowlarks. No gyrfalcon.
Overall it was pretty quiet; it seemed the only raptors flying were the
harriers. To the north, just before Samish Island, there were thousands of
pintails and wigeons to the left side of the road. The puddles and ponds
were pretty well frozen. I heard there was a kestrel at Darcy Rd, but I
missed it.
At Fir Island I stopped at the end of Rawlins Rd, where it was much warmer
but much quieter bird wise. I even hiked out along the river about a half
mile or so, but saw little more than song sparrows, harriers, red tails, and
eagles. It was so much warmer at Fir Island that I nearly worked up a sweat
as I hiked back.
It was a good day, but not great. Maybe all the birds were at the Big Ditch.
People were very pleasant. Traffic wasn't bad southbound until I got to
Everett.

Kevin Li
Ballard, USA