Subject: [Tweeters] Everett / Spencer Island birds and a striped skunk
Date: Apr 30 13:06:13 2009
From: Greg and Sally Toffic - toffic.family at verizon.net


I was also birding at Spencer Island yesterday. I heard a sora calling from the wet area south and west of the bridge. A sora is always nice, but It was an interesting day for mammals. I saw a young raccoon foraging in the slough, just north of the bridge...not terribly unusual, but its always somewhat of a surprise to see one out during the day.
The most interesting sighting of the day, however, was a striped skunk. It was on the edge of the northeast dike path, just north of the cross dike. I can not recall ever having seen a live skunk in Washington (and only one dead one). How rare are they?
Greg Tofic
Everett
----- Original Message -----
From: jeff gibson
To: tweeters
Sent: Thursday, April 30, 2009 10:36 AM
Subject: [Tweeters] Everett / Spencer Island birds


Yesterday morning stopped off briefly at the Maulsby Mudflats and 10t street boatlaunch on the Everett Waterfront. A flock of bright plumaged DUNLIN was working the mud - around 500 or so, with lots of other small groups flying about. At one point this dense flock of birds all flew down the beach, revealing a single GREATER YELLOWLEGS standing there , seemingly unfazed by the sudden mass departure of its smaller associates.

On a narrow strip of exposed mud down at the boatlaunch were a dozen LEAST SANDPIPERS.

A single 1st year GLAUCOUS GULL has been at the ongoing gull tailgate party in the big boatlaunch parking lot. A real slacker in the gull id department for the last few decades, I'm trying to educate myself by watching this parking lot flock of gulls which changes in species attendance over the seasons. The Mews of winter moving on - and lately a few CALIFORNIA GULLS moving in.


In the evening went out to Spencer Island and the Everett Sewage Ponds. It was'nt until I was leaving that I noticed the complete lack of any gulls of any kind out there. Did'nt see a one. A few bright CINNAMON TEAL about and many VIRGINIA RAILS calling out in the remaining freshwater marsh. The tide was out exposing lots of mud in the central area of the island. Lots of peeps swirling about out there, and a dozen or more GREATER YELLOWLEGS were there too. ( even more yellowlegs out there sunday)

Finally, I stopped briefly at the ponds off 12th street NE (the road just north of the sewage ponds) where I saw a single female YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD. This is the same spot where there was YHBB last june.


Jeff Gibson, Everett Wa




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