Yes it was cold, but still a beautiful day up north of Seattle, in
search of raptors. Frozen water minimized sightings but made the
fields and paths easier to walk on. It was absolutely heavenly when
the sun rose high enough to warm us a bit, and wind only rarely and
ever-so-slightly added to the chill factor.

We saw some Red-tailed Hawks, Bald Eagles, Northern Harriers,
Peregrine Falcons, Coopers Hawks, Short-eared Owls, Merlins and Rough-
legged Hawks. Interactions between Bald Eagles, Northern Harriers,
and other pairs or groups of birds kept our interest perked. Some of
us were lucky to hear a Great Horned Owl hoot at West 90 and listen to
a little conversation between leader Tom and a Saw-Whet Owl on the
forested edge of a cemetery!

Wilson's Snipes were in great abundance and an attack on one by a Red-
tailed Hawk was an unexpected and exciting moment to witness. A
Northern Shrike, a group of Cedar Waxwings, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet,
Red-breasted Nuthatches, American Pipits, Killdeer, Black-bellied
Plovers and the frozen body of a dead Greater Yellowlegs (the jury is
still out on that ID), filled in when the raptors were in short
supply. A variety of ducks, sparrows and gulls also filled in some
empty moments as did a busy and curious little Marsh Wren inspecting
an upturned stump in the Stillaguamish. Great Blue Heron sentries
stood frozen in their tracks as usual, occasionally flying up over a
ditch, field or road. The most raptor-filled and interesting stop
was on a spur road on Samish Island, just before sunset. The floating
(seemingly hovering) Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks at the top of a
cliff, were quite a sight, as was the Taiga Merlin who flew in to
search for prey from the top of a fir tree at the top of the same
cliff. The evening Peregrine, bathed in peach from the setting sun,
suddenly sped in a hunting flight toward the bay/river (?) to attempt
to catch a shorebird or duck off-guard - we didn't see him fly off
with anything, but perhaps someone living in the house over the bay,
did.

The sunset was pleasing, with the warm colors in stark contrast to the
icy blue, white and black of the rest of the landscape at that time
(4:30 p.m. or so). Farm-to-Market Bakery provided us with sweet
treats and a warm break at the end of the day. In early afternoon a
Starbuck's served this purpose after we were unable to find the
Stanwood bakery that some of us had enjoyed in previous years - a
victim of the economy?

Congenial birders, a great and engaging leader, and warm cars all
added to this delightful December bird trip.

Photos from the day are available upon request - memento-, not ID-
quality. Scenic shots better than bird ones, although the Merlin
shots are pretty good... :-)

Barb Deihl

North Matthews Beach, Seattle

barbdeihl at comcast.net