Dear Tweeters,

On Saturday, 5-19-07, three of us had an all-Skagit
County big day. Howard Armstrong, Bob Kuntz and I
found 119 species, which I believe is the new record
(Bob once did a big day with Kraig Kemper, and they
found about as many, but the total eludes our
collective memories--probably was around 117).

We started owling near Lyman at 0300, but owling was
pretty much a bust, except for a Great Horned at my
place, and three Barn Owls seen through the course of
the day.

At County Line Ponds we heard a Ruffed Grouse.

At Corkindale were a Western Kingbird and a flock of 5
Chippies.

Sauk Mountain was pretty much a bust, with heavy mist
up high, and snow low enough to block us from trying
for Fox Sparrow and Hermit Thrush. We did get our only
Flicker, Brown Creeper, and Townsend's Warblers of the
day, though. In retrospect, we would probably have
been wise to visit Barnaby Slough, and skip Sauk, but
such is a big day.

Upriver, there were Soras calling from several
wetlands, and Virginia Rail at SR 20 milepost 76.

On Cockreham Island was a Mountain Bluebird, spotted
by Bob as we turned a corner.

The Whimbrel flock was still there on Burmaster Road,
across the road from the old "Noah's Ark" petting zoo.

The area of Clear Lake, Beaver Lake, and DeBay's
Slough was pretty much a bust.

Near Green Road Pond were a couple of Bullock's
Orioles.

A few Black Swifts were in the air near Friday Creek.

Our waterfowl bonanza was at Channel Drive--our only
Blue-winged Teal, Pintail, and Green-winged Teal, plus
three late Long-billed Dowitchers. There were a couple
of Cinnamon Teal here, too--this was a surprisingly
common species today, with sightings at many
locations, and one flock of seven birds near Green
Road Pond.

There were a few Golden-crowned Sparrows at the Game
Range, plus two Bitterns calling, and a Green Heron.
We also had a flock of tiny gulls or terns, most
likely Bonaparte's, that we ended up calling "Larid
Species," for our only unidentified species of the
list.

I had 119, Howard had 118 (missed our only tanager),
and Bob 118 (missed the Tanager too, as well as the
Pileated that Howard and I heard.

The big miss of the day was Downy Woodpecker. We also
missed Hairy Woodpecker. For the day, we had one
Pileated, several Red-breasted Sapsuckers, and the one
flicker. Bushtits eluded us, too. Once again, a Barred
Owl that called cooperatively on the May Count was
silent on the following weekend--ouch! Oh well, it was
a great day.


Yours truly,

Gary Bletsch

near Lyman (Skagit County), Washington

garybletsch at yahoo.com




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