Dear Tweeters,

Today there were five Red-necked Phalaropes at Channel Drive (just N of LaConner in Skagit County), along with three Semipalmated Sandpipers, five or six Westerns, and 40 Leasts. At least seven Spotted Sandpipers were there, including two with spots. With 4 Greater Yellowlegs and a Killdeer, it was a ahorebirdy spot.

At least 100 Barn Swallows swarmed the ponds, along with a handful of Violet-greens and very small numbers of Tree, Cliff, and Bank. Interestingly, after seeing Rough-wings as the second-most numerous swallow last week and the week before, I saw none today.

Single Yellow Warblers turned up at three or four places today. They appear to be on the move.

At DeBay's Slough (on Francis Road out of Mount Vernon) I may have heard a Least Flycatcher. It called incessantly, but I never saw it. I played a recording with my car stereo, but I think the road was too far from the spot for the bird to hear. In the same spot where I heard this chebecky vocalization were Western Wood-Pewees feeding at least three fledglings. Might young WEWP's make a "chebec"-like call? Also here at DeBay's were two Green-winged Teal, along with hordes of Mallards and Wood Ducks.

There is still a Solitary Sandpiper at the SR 20 milepost 73.8 pond. At the river in Lyman, I was just getting ready to scope some Least Sandpipers when a dark Merlin flew in and scared them away.

Yours truly,

Gary Bletsch ? Near Lyman, Washington (Skagit County), USA ? garybletsch at yahoo.com ? ?