Dear Tweeteres,

Today at around six in the evening, two Sandhill
Cranes flew over Channel Drive (near LaConner in
Skagit County), called repeatedly, and then alighted
in a dirt field. There were already several hundred
birds in the field, mostly Canada Geese and Northern
Pintails, with one Cackling Goose. Shortly after the
birds came over, I met a birder who lives there at
Channel Drive, and who told me he'd never seen cranes
there since moving to Channel Drive in the late
1980's. The birds were still foraging out there as it
was getting dark, so maybe they will spend the night
out there, if anybody wants to try for them tomorrow.

There was also a banded Peregrine Falcon there. The
aluminum USF&WS band on the right leg had the numerals
307, then a space, then a 2. The left leg had a black
band with the white numerals 44 on it, and the letter
P below the 44. Is this enough to go on?

A Great Horned Owl started calling at Channel Drive at
around the same time the cranes showed up.

Other fun birds today included a small flock of
Pectoral Sandpipers at Jensen Access, a score or more
of Long-billed Dowitchers at both Channel Drive and
West Edison, two Hutton's Vireos near Lake Cavanaugh,
and a calling Cooper's Hawk at the Fir Island Game
Range.

Finally, a neighbor contacted me about a beautiful
specimen of a Great Horned Owl that they found on
their property. Is there a museum that could use such?


Yours truly,

Gary Bletsch

near Lyman (Skagit County), Washington

garybletsch at yahoo.com


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com