This is a late report on a four hour Nature Cruise from La Conner on Saturday. There were 16 on board. We left dock about 1000 on a cloudy, cold (34), but dry and not windy except when boat was moving. We started going up (north) the Swinomish Channel to Padilla Bay, thru Guemes Channel to Deepwater Bay on Cypress Is., around Fidalgo Is., Burrows & Allan Is., to Rosario Head, then thru Canoe Pass instead of Deception Pass because of a slack tide, then past Hat Is., Goat Is. and then north by the rock dike at the entrance to the Swinomish Channel and back to La Conner. The following list also includes birds seen going to/from La Conner.

GREBES
Red-necked Grebe - large numbers
Horned Grebe
Western Grebe - large numbers
CORMORANTS - many in breeding plumage
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Brandt's Cormorant
DUCKS, SWANS, GEESE
Trumpeter Swan - 100+ east of La Conner
Brant - 4-500 in Padilla Bay
Eurasian Wigeon
American Wigeon - large numbers
Gadwall
Green-winged Teal
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Greater Scaup
Harlequin Duck - one pair at Rosario Head
Long-tailed Duck - seen in many small groups all over Padilla Bay
Surf Scoter
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser - numerous in more open water
Common Merganser - numerous in Swinomish Channel
HERONS, EGRETS AND BITTERNS
Great Blue Heron
HAWKS, EAGLES AND KITES
Bald Eagle - 21
Northern Harrier - 6
Red-tailed Hawk - 7
Rough-legged Hawk - 2, 1 in channel and 1 at Hayden Preserve
FALCONS AND CARACARAS
American Kestrel - 1 on Fir Is. Road
Peregrine Falcon - 1 on Fir Is. Road
SANDPIPERS
Black Turnstone - seen at three locations
Surfbird - seen at one location
Sanderling - on rock dike at south end of Swinomish Channel
Dunlin - a few on rock dike, hundreds at Jensen Access and Hayden Preserve
OYSTERCATCHERS
Black Oystercatcher - at three locations
PLOVERS AND LAPWINGS
Killdeer
GULLS AND TERNS
Mew Gull
California Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Western Gull
AUKS, ALCIDS
Common Murre - 15-20
Pigeon Guillemot - numerous in open water
Rhinoceros Auklet - 15-20
LOONS
Red-throated Loon - numerous
Common Loon - numerous
PIGEONS AND DOVES
Rock Pigeon
OWLS
Snowy Owl - 2 south of Hayden Preserve in Skagit WMA, only seen with scope at long distance.
KINGFISHERS
Belted Kingfisher
WOODPECKERS
Northern Flicker
CROWS AND JAYS
American Crow
Common Raven
THRUSHES
American Robin
BLACKBIRDS, GRACKLES, ORIOLES
Brewer's Blackbird

Hugh Jennings
Bellevue, WA
hughbirder AT earthlink.net