Hi Tweets

Yesterday I led an East Lake Washington Audubon trip to the Samish and Skagit Flats (D-5 on p. 109 in DeLorme). The day started out well as we had a nice grouping of TRUMPETER SWANS close to the road and right by a parking area at Chuckanut Driver and I-5. A couple of TUNDRA SWANS were also with one of the groups along the Drive. Up in the town of Bow we had three BALD EAGLES perched in trees, and right over our heads a nice adult PEREGRINE FALCON. On double checking the area we found a gorgeous RED-TAILED HAWK a bit lower down on one of the trees. We slowly drove the residential neighborhood of Blanchard (just before Chuckanut Drive climbs along the edge of Samish Bay). Variously there we had RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, HOUSE SPARROW, GOLDEN-CROWNED and WHITE-CROWNED, SONG and FOX SPARROWS, SPOTTED TOWHEES. In one tree we had a perched MERLIN with an absolutely stuffed crop - it must have had a super meal. Turning west toward Edison we had a few AMERICAN COOTs in the canal and a NORTHERN SHRIKE perched on some wild roses. Many COMMON RAVENS were cavorting north of us, and several more BALD EAGLES were there. A NORTHERN HARRIER was over the fields, and further down the road was a second one - both females.

As we made the turn to Samish Island Road we had nice looks at a dark morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. Several more RED-TAILED HAWKs were along the tree lines. At the West 90 (where Samish Island Road turns to the north we had 7 more NORTHERN HARRIERs working the fields and 5 or 6 SHORT-EARED OWLS. At one point we had a Short-eared perched about 100 yards away in good light - great thru the scopes. Then we discovered a Harrier nestled down in the grass about 30 yards away. Great looks, and excellent opportunities to study behavior.

We continued up toward Samish Island and had a second NORTHERN SHRIKE along the way, this one perched obligingly for us. At the access point on Wharf Road at the northern end of the island we had lots of activity. FOX and SONG SPARROWs, both kinglets, SPOTTED TOWHEE, DOWNY WOODPECKER, and CHESTNUT-BACKED and BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEEs. Several VARIED THRUSHEs were in nearby conifers. A COOPER'S HAWK was on top of a distant conifer. Out on Samish Bay we had COMMON GOLDENEYE, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, SURF and WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, BUFFLEHEAD and LONG-TAILED DUCK, as well as DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, COMMON and PACIFIC LOONs, HORNED and RED-NECKED GREBEs, and in the distance BRANT. Driving back down the island there were several thousand wigeon out on Padilla Bay, but the distance and light was wrong for good identification.

We made our way down to the Skagit Flats and Fir Island (B-5 on p. 95 of DeLorme) and out to the access point on Rawlins Rd. Offshore were perhaps as many as 50,000 MALLARDs, and even at a distance their "talk" was loud. More NORTHERN HARRIERS were visible from the Jensen Access off Maupin Road. We stopped at the Hayton Preserve to look for the SWAMP SPARROW, but even with the assistance of one of our members from South Carolina we couldn't pull it out. As a consolation we another BALD EAGLE perched near a nest, another PEREGRINE FALCON came in and perched and we had three very close flybys by SHORT-EARED OWLS. One perched about 50 yards away for scoop views, was flushed by another and then landed about 30 yards away - fantastic views.

Lots of GREAT BLUE HERONs, AMERICAN CROWs during the day and a sprinkling of GREEN-WINGED TEAL, NORTHERN PINTAIL, NORTHERN SHOVELER, HOODED and COMMON MERGANSERs, a few BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERs and about a thousand DUNLIN from the Jensen Access.

We had excellent weather all day (even the wind stopped after the first 15 minutes) and finished with 72 species for the day.

It was a great day!

Brian H. Bell
Woodinville WA
bellasoc at isomedia dot com