Hello Tweets,

Mitch Blanton and I did a Skagit loop from south to north from Bellingham yesterday, Sunday. We started at the Conway Game Range and had a Peregrine falcon on the hunt just outside the entrance on Wylie Rd. We dipped on the Waterthrush and chose to pass on the combat zone, heading north with stops along the foreshore. Hayden Preserve had good looks at Northern Shrike, Short-eared Owl, and Green Heron, plus expansive looks at the massive Snow Geese flocks put up by eagles.

We stopped on Valentine Rd. for the Blue Jay and other great feeder birds at Randy and Wendy's place. Very generous folks, everyone should treat them well. Then we had a Kestrel on Dodge Valley Rd.

>From there we zipped up to Bayview/Edison Rd., the west 90, and Samish Island and had especially good looks at the raptor rodeo out there. On a single fence line abutting a flooded field full of Dunlin, we had Peregrine and Prairie Falcons, plus a Merlin with fresh prey. While watching, the Prairie and Peregrine were actively hunting the huge Dunlin flock. We watched a Bald Eagle chasing a Peregrine, trying to parasitize fresh kill from the falcon. We were cheering the falcon on as it out-flew the eagle. Also, we saw many interesting morphs of Rough-legged and Redtail Hawks. At the end of the afternoon, we tried to scare up a Gyr, but alas, had to be content with only four falcon species (including 4 Peregrines) for the day.

Best Birding,
Joe Mackie
Bellingham
joemackie.14 at comcast.net