Tweets,
David K., Steve Dang, Adam Sedgley and I did some Sno. Co. birding today. Spencer Island had "No Pedestrian Traffic" signs up at the entrace of the road to the loop trail. But a detour into the office provided instructions to ignore that--"It's just something the Corp of Engrs put up" and applied to the left (hunters') loop, where there was work going on. Right at the foot of the entry road (and to the left of where the old barn used to be) we were surprised to see 3 Eastern Kingbirds, 1 adult and 2 juvies. We were wondering if they nested there. Not much else was going on though--no shorebirds but calling Killdeer, in spite of lots of mud. Saw a Green Heron sitting on the fallen trees at the edge of the slough on the way out.

We visited Pt. Susan with permission as described in Marv Breece's earlier posting. (There are now "No Public Access" signs posted--I imagine entry will be very limited once hunting season starts.) Same scene--low numbers of shorebirds, but good diversity. More came in with the tide, which wasn't high until after 5 p.m.--we left before 4. That single juvie Stilt Sandpiper was present, several Lesser Yellowlegs, LB and SB Dowitchers, 2 Baird's Sandpipers, Western and Least SPs, many RN Phalaropes. We were a little surprised to see a Pacific Slope Flycatcher out by the barns. We saw a couple of Willow FCs near the house, and it looks like VG Swallows are staging for migration--there were hundreds on the wires and they all left my place weeks ago. The blackberries were fabulous!
Penny Koyama, Bothell
plkoyama at verizon.net