I arrived at Semiahmoo just before daybreak on Sunday morning and waited
until there was enough light to find the KING EIDER which was inside the
dock at the southwest corner of the marina. I also found good numbers of
LONG-TAILED and HARLEQUIN DUCKS as well as all three SCOTERS and lots of
Loons.



>From there I drove down Chuckanut Drive with a quick stop at Larrabee State
Park (not much there) on my way to Samish. Highlights at SAMISH included a
EURASIAN WIDGEON, several SHORT-EARED OWLS, a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK a MERLIN
and one WESTERN MEADOWLARK. Most of the other usual suspects were around
including a few BRANT seen from Samish Island Road.



Then I headed to the Skagit where I dodged hunters but still saw large
numbers of SNOW GEESE on Skagit Bay and flying over. At the Game Range on
Fir Island I found a handful of female/immature and one male PINE GROSBEAK
(calling), a GREEN HERON (flying) near the "river dike" and several species
of Sparrow including one each of SWAMP, LINCOLN'S and WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
in the brambles near parking area for the boat launch. I believe the SWAMP
SPARROW was my first in Washington unless we rustled one up during one of
Michael Hobbs Marymoor walks. I'll have to check my records. I missed the
Waterthrush but all in all it was a great day.



When combined with my trip to Snohomish on Saturday to see the WHOOPER SWAN
and EMPEROR GOOSE and a quick stop at the Snoqualmie Sewage Ponds I had an
amazing waterfowl weekend totaling 30 SPECIES.



Good birding,



Mason Flint

Snoqualmie, WA