Many thanks to Brian Bell for leading a wonderful trip last Tuesday.
I'm between "real" cameras nowadays, but here are some photos I took
with my old 2.1 MP Olympus (10x optical plus 2.1x teleconverter):

http://www.dartfrogmedia.com/birds/skagit061205/


Marc Hoffman
Kirkland, WA
http://www.dartfrogmedia.com
tweeters at dartfrogmedia dot com



>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
>_________________________