Hi Tweets,

Today I had another wonderful afternoon in the field, another Dip
Trip. Today it was the Skagit County Cattle Egret. (Sunny in Skagit
County while it was raining in Pugetopolis.) A few weeks ago I
laughed all day with Guy McWethy as we methodically dipped on the
Elegant Terns on the coast. Then there was the great shared time
with Ann Marie Wood, dipping on the Northern Hawk Owl last winter.
(We were 30 minutes too late as the Olivers were the last to see the
owl.) And did I mention the Ruff (both of them, in Snohomish and
Skagit Counties)? Then last fall there was the Ivory Gull in
Abbotsford. I'd never birded Abbotsford before and had a lovely
day. I had one of the nicest observations of a Winter Wren that I
had had in a long time. Ah, and the Slaty-backed Gull. Great trips
to Renton and you've gotta love the artificial screeches of the
airport. Great gulls to be seen. Keep 'em coming, guys. You
inspire me to get off my duff and head out to where life is better.

As an aside, the Wiley Slough Game Preserve on Fir Island is closed
for the so-called salmon habitat restoration project. It is supposed
t o re-open in late September. Check out the web site at
www.wileyslough.org.

Cheers,
Carol Riddell
Edmonds