Subject: [Tweeters] Skagit Nashville & Solit Sandp
Date: Apr 18 18:30:02 2010
From: Gary Bletsch - garybletsch at yahoo.com


Dear Tweeters,

I was surprised to read that John Tubbs saw a Nashville Warbler down in Snohomish County today. This morning at Cockreham Island I was surprised to see two of them. I have seen them in April before, outside of Texas. They were with an Orange-crowned and several Audubon's Warblers. This was at the west end of the "River Tracts" road that bisects the boat-launch road on Cocrkreham (I think the sign says "Lyman Ferry Road"). If you try for these birds, be careful. For the umpteenth time, there are POWER LINES DOWN, lying on the ground, with a few bits of yellow police tape to warn you not to step on it and get fried!

The other cracking good bird today was a SOLITARY SANDPIPER at Northern State Recreation Area, just east of Sedro-Woolley. This bird was with two or three Greater Yellowlegs, some Killdeer, and a Wilson's Snipe. Unfortunately, viewing these birds requires either an unsatisfactory pull-onto-a-muddy-shoulder manoeuver, or else a long hike or bike ride. Either way, the traffic noise is ugly. The birds are west of Hansen Creek, right along busy SR 20. One might park at the junction of SR 20 and Helmick Road and walk west on the highway's north shoulder, a jaunt of a few hundred yards, or risk a ticket by pulling just barely off the white line.

Today I saw about 92 species in Skagit County, without even an early start; I quit at about 5:45, too! It was a superb day of watching birds, especially migrants. There were quite a few first-of-2010-in-the-county today for me. Besides the Nashville and the sandpiper, further highlights included:

R-T Loon, a dozen or more at Samish Island Public Beach;

Cinnamon Teal, a few each at SR 20 milepost 76, Burmaster Road Pond, and I think one other spot;

Oldsquaw, 9 at March Point;

Dunlin, 9 breeding-plumage birds at March Point;

W. Sandpiper, breeding-plumage, 51 of them with the Dunlin;

Rhinoceros Auklet, a pair in close at Samish Island Public Bch, doing some sort of nuptial waltz in the water;

B-T Pigeon, three in Hamilton;

N Rough-winged Swallow, a small flock at Pomona Grange Park, and a single at Samish Island;

Tree, V-G, and Barn Swallows were all over the place.

Hutton's Vireo, one singing, possibly accompanied by a second bird, at Pomona Grange Park, where they've been for several months now.

Common Yellowthroat, numerous birds, from Hamilton and Lyman on out to Butler Flats and Samish Flats.

Single Lincoln's Sparrows turned up in three places, one of which was my yard when I got back!

Brown-headed Cowbird, a half-dozen or so on Padilla Heights Road.

Evening Grosbeak--a flock continues just east of Lyman, along Lyman-Hamilton Road, west of Cockreham Island Road.



Yours truly,


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