Hi Anne and Tweets

On your point 3 for Snow Geese - The Hayton Preserve is on Fir Island in
Skagit County. A good discussion of the area is in the ABA A Birder's Guide
to Washington (the essential reference for finding good birding spots in the
state). The chapter starts on p. 113 and an excellent map is on p. 114. You
reach Fir Island off of I-5 at the Conway exit (exit 221) northbound. Turn
left and cross over the freeway and take the turn into Conway, this will put
you on Fir Island Road. The Fir Island Farm/Hayton Preserve is a little more
than 2.5 miles down the road once you cross the Skagit River and onto Fir
Island. Yesterday, a major group of Snow Geese were found off of the
north-south part of Maupin Road (about 12,000) with another significant
group on the north side of Fir Island Rd. just west of the Hayton Preserve.
The Snow Geese move around from day to day, avoiding the areas where there
is hunting going on. You want to get one of the ABA guides and then using
the map for directions drive the streets and scan looking for the geese
(there have also been some groups of Trumpeter Swans in the fields also).

A second major area for the Snow Geese is south of Stanwood (ABA Guide page
184) along Boe Road. Take SR532 west from I-5 (exit 212) to Stanwood and
turn left on 267th Pl NW. This will take you to Marine Dr. Turn right
(south) and go to Boe Road and turn right. Take Boe to it's end - the Snow
Geese are usually in the fields south of the road (the area north of the
road is open to hunters). You can also look for them along Thomle Rd (a ways
north of Boe Rd).

Maps and excellent directions are in the ABA Guide and will help you with
your other wanderings around our state.

Good Birding,

Brian H. Bell
Birding & Natural History Guide
Woodinville WA
mailto bellasoc at isomedia dot com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Anne Brown" <harelde at hotmail.com>
To: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Friday, December 08, 2006 1:33 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] A few questions from a visiting birder


> Hi all,
>
> My fiance and I will be visiting Washington State this winter, landing at
> SeaTac on December 15th and leaving from Pasco on Dec 26th. We plan on
> spending about 5 days birding on the west side of the Cascades, driving
> over the mountains on the 20th or the 21st, and spending the rest of our
> time visiting family in the Tri-Cities area, with a possible birding trip
> to Moses Lake or Spokane.
>
> We're still trying to figure out whether we'll be spending the first part
> of our trip heading north from Seattle to the Skagit and Samish Flats and
> all the way north to Blaine or if we will be going to the Pacific coast
> instead (Ocean Shores in particular, and Nisqually on the way there). I
> have a few questions about where to find some species that we would
> particularly like to see.
>
> 1) First, I was wondering if there is any reliable place in western WA to
> see mountain quail. It would be a lifer for us and we both have a
> particular fondness for funny-looking gallinaceous birds.
>
> 2) We're also crazy about owls, and I was wondering if anybody knows if
> there is still a snowy owl hanging out at the Blaine marina, or at any
> other coastal location, or inland near Moses Lake? Also, is anybody aware
> of the location of a long-eared owl roost in the Tri-Cities area or
> vicinity?
>
> 3) What are good places to see large numbers of snow geese (preferably
> areas that are not currently being hunted)? I have seen some posts on
> this list mentioning the "Hayden Snow Goose Preserve", but I have not been
> able to find this place on a map. Is it open to the public, and if so,
> could someone give me directions on how to get there?
>
> 4) Finally, what are good places to see Anna's hummingbirds and Townsend's
> warblers at this time of the year? Or gray-crowned rosy-finches?
>
> Thank you,
>
> Anne Brown
> Durham, North Carolina
> harelde AT hotmail.com
>
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