Yesterday I was fortunate to join up with a Skagit Audubon group to
enjoy sharing bird sightings on a cold, but progressively warming,
day. Here is a quick list of the birds I recall (the leader and a few
others, actually kept track while I ogled and took a few photos) -
maybe one of the group will fill in some of the ones I forgot or
didn't personally see, in another post. Some of these birds I saw as
I left the Samish and headed home: (this list is in no particular
order, with my favorites highlighted in capital letters - I have a few
half-decent photos of the ones with asterisks - will send them in an
email to anyone interested):
---------------

1 ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD (female)
2 PEREGRINE FALCON* (photos of one adult on utility pole)
1 PRAIRIE FALCON* (or juvenile Peregrine Falcon, not sure...)
2 MERLIN (1 probable Taiga at Bayview St. Park, 1 possible Prairie in
Edison)
1 KESTREL, male*
thousands of swirling DUNLIN* (along Bay View/Edison Rd.)
?# Long-billed Dowitcher
about 10-12 NORTHERN HARRIER, including 3 males - one of the males
unsuccessfully hunted the Dunlin flock as we watched
1 EURASIAN-COLLARED DOVE
2 SHORT-EARED OWL
5 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK*
3 Red-tailed Hawk
15+ Bald Eagle of varying age - at least half were adults
1 Northern Shrike
House Finches
12+ Dark-eyed Junco
1 Chestnut-backed Chickadee
1 Black-capped Chickadee
3 Gold-crowned Sparrow
2 Marsh Wren
?# Song Sparrow
1 Fox Sparrow
1 Spotted Towhee
3 Northern Flicker
3+ WESTERN MEADOWLARK
4+ COMMON RAVEN (3 in a 'game' of mutual-harrassment with a N.
Harrier female), one seen with probable snake dangling from it's beak)
a few American Crow
12+ Common Loon
1 or 2 RED-THROATED LOON
4+ RED-BREASTED MERGANSER
2+ HORNED GREBE
1 RED-NECKED GREBE
4+ Surf Scoter
'other' scoters - ??
8+ Double-crested Cormorant
flocks of Canada Goose, Brant, Snow Goose (out on water from Rawlins
Road dike), Trumpeter Swan, & a small flock (8 or so) of Greater
White-fronted Goose
12+ LONG-TAILED DUCK
rafts of American Wigeon
dozens of Pintail
Greater Scaup
1 Mallard drake
24+ Green-winged Teal
8+ Common Goldeneye
6+ Bufflehead
7+ Great Blue Heron

--------------

After reading Brian Bell's post on the Eastside Audubon trip Mon. and
their sighting of a Prairie Falcon, I took another look at my photos
of what I had thought was a very brownish juvenile Peregrine Falcon,
and now wonder if I did actually see a Prairie Falcon. I have some
fairly-good photos of this bird, which I will send to a few of you,
for better identification.

Thanks to Joan, Mitch, Jim, Pam, Ginger and Andrea for sharing their
company and sightings yesterday. I do have a question to ask you, if
any one of you cares to send me an email - I have none of your
addresses. The question is about a humorous occurrence that happened
after the oyster farm!

Yesterday and Wednesday were 2 more beautiful days in Flatsland,
Skagit Co. - barely any wind to speak of and enough sun to send the
shivers packing and 2 nice sunsets to boot, not-to-mention pleasant
company and friendly strangers sharing bird info and photos along the
way, including up on the Rawlins Road dike. Oh, and the birds helped
a lot, too!


Barb Deihl

North Matthews Beach - Seattle

barbdeihl at comcast.net