Subject: [Tweeters] Eastside trip to Samish and Skagit on Wednesday the 14th
Date: Jan 16 08:47:55 2009
From: B&PBell - bellasoc at isomedia.com


Hi Tweets

On Wednesday, Jan 14th I led a field trip for Eastside Audubon to the Samish and Skagit Flats. Earlier in the week it was looking problematic as much of the Samish Flats roads were underwater, but by the time we went things had drained quite a bit. We left the fog of Seattle behind and broke out into sun about Everett. Coming down into the Skagit Valley there were scattered groups of swans about, but most were too distant from the roads to i.d., so we continued on north.

The fields were still quite wet up along Chuckanut Drive, but the roads were dry. More swans and mixed flocks of ducks. In Allen at the park there was a nice collection of gulls including GLAUCOUS-WINGED, RING-BILLED, CALIFORNIA and MEW. Further north there were larger flocks of MEW gulls. We started seeing BALD EAGLES, and picked up a couple of RED-TAILED HAWKs. In a flooded field just north of Bow there was a large flock of ducks including a couple of hundred AMERICAN WIGEON, at least 9 EURASIAN WIGEON, NORTHERN PINTAIL, and MALLARDs. Still further north another flooded field had MALLARDs, NORTHERN SHOVELER, NORTHERN PINTAIL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, GADWALL and wigeon. We turned off at Blanchard (p. 109 old DeLorme D5) and had a single female COMMON GOLDENEYE in the inlet. Elsewhere along Blanchard Rd. we had STELLER'S JAY, BALD EAGLE, PEREGRINE FALCON, MOURNING DOVE, NORTHERN FLICKER, COMMON RAVEN, AMERICAN ROBIN, EUROPEAN STARLING, SPOTTED TOWHEE, FOX and SONG SPARROWs, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, DARK-EYED JUNCO, HOUSE FINCH and HOUSE SPARROW. Back down toward Bow there was a flock of blackbirds that contained RED-WINGED and BREWER'S BLACKBIRDs. We stopped part way down to look at a RED-TAILED HAWK (1405 Chuckanut Dr.) that had a seriously deformed bill - the upper beak was curved way down past the lower beak and the upper beak was curved to the side. In the distance there was a perched ROUGH-WINGED HAWK.

As we drove toward Edison we saw a NORTHERN HARRIER, and turned off to scope a large raptor. When we parked we saw a smaller bird that turned out to be a COOPER'S HAWK. In Edison we saw at least five EURASIAN COLLEARD-DOVEs, PINE SISKINs, more HOUSE SPARROWs. At the intersection of Farm-to-Market Rd and Bayview-Edison Rd there were nine AMERICAN COOTS in the very full canal. Two COMMON MERGANSERs flew over. This was the point where we started to encounter seriously flooded fields with water right up to the edge of the road. At the large cottonwood trees around the house just west of the flooded Samish River there were at least 15 BALD EAGLES with more in the area. In the vicinity of the East 90 there were a couple of RED-TAILED HAWKs, another couple of BALD EAGLEs, four GREATER SCAUP landed in the completely flooded field to the northwest. The parking area at the West 90 was open and the elevated path was dry, but everything else was flooded. Scanning the fields and dikes we saw more BALD EAGLES, RED-TAILED HAWKs and NORTHERN HARRIERS and a couple of ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKs. There were ducks in the distance, but now owls and no songbirds.

At the DNR access point at the end of Wharf Rd. on Samish Island we made a quick stop for lunch and then scanned Samish Bay. We picked up BUFFLEHEAD, LONG-TAILED DUCK, SURF and WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, COMMON and BARROW'S GOLDENEYE, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, COMMON LOON, HORNED GREBE, RED-NECKED GREBE and a single WESTERN GREBE. A couple of DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS were working the area. In the distance on the bay there was a long line of BRANT (only identifiable because is was bright sunlight). As we came back down toward the flats we could look out and see the dike as a dividing line between Padilla Bay and the new inland sea that is the western part of the Samish Flats. We turned south on Bayview-Edison Rd and discovered that it had been reduced to just more than a single lane in places (on Saturday the 10th it was covered by water). Sullivan Rd. is underwater. Katherine, who had been up on Saturday, said that there had been voles everywhere trying to get away from the water. A couple of flocks of DUNLIN swirled around.

We made a circuit along D'Arcy Rd, Farm-to-Market, Field, Thomas and Benson Rds. (Allan West Rd is blocked). We continued to see more BALD EAGLES and RED-TAILED HAWKs. Along Thomas Rd we had an AMERICAN KESTREL. Padilla Bay was curiously devoid of ducks. Once we left the Samish Flats the water levels were down and the fields were wet but not flooded.

Going down Dodge Valley Rd. we had another AMERICAN KESTREL. We went up Valentine Rd. to Valentine Ranch. The feeders there had many, many DARK-EYED JUNCOs, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWs, some SONG SPARROWs, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWs, HOUSE FINCH, SPOTTED TOWHEE, HAIRY and DOWNY WOODPECKERs, BLACK-CAPPED and CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEEs, and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. The Blue Jay did not put in an appearance for us. Down on the Skagit Flats we turned on Rawlins Rd. (p. 95 old DeLorme D5) and drove out to the end. As we scanned the area we saw several NORTHERN HARRIERs and two SHORT-EARED OWLs. The owls were hunting, and at one point there was a nice interaction with a harrier. On Maupin Rd. just east of Fir Island Rd there was a nice group of TRUMPETER SWANs with one TUNDRA SWAN for comparison. At the Hayton Preserve, there was a large flock (about 12-15-000) of SNOW GEESE. As we stood quietly by the fence they came closer and closer, feeding until they were finally only about 25 feet away. At that point an immature BALD EAGLE flew over and the whole flock lifted off with a terrific rush of wings and incredible calling - WOW!

To finish the day we went down Wylie Rd to the Skagit Wildlife Area. As we stepped out of the cars at the eastern parking lot we heard two GREAT HORNED OWLs calling to each other, and a WINTER WREN ticked in the bushes.

It was a great day with many good sightings - Hugh Jennings kept a running total of the raptors we saw including at least: 28
Red-tailed Hawks, 92 Bald Eagles, 15 Northern Harriers, 8 Rough-legged Hawks, 2 Peregrine Falcons, 1 Cooper's Hawk, 3 American Kestrels and 2 Short-eared Owls. In addition we got to experience very unusual flooding conditions on the Samish.

We had a total of 71 species for the day.

It was a GOOD DAY!

Brian H. Bell
Birding & Natural History Guide
Woodinville WA
mail to bell asoc at isomedia dot com