Today for earthday I got to chaperone a group of students up to Warm Beach
camp for the Snohomish County Envirothon. Once the kids start the program
the mentors are out of the picture so I wandered down and took up station at
the edge of Port Susan Bay by myself. After an hour or so of watching and
listening a group of 5 yellowlegs (greater) all flew past in a hurry,
followed by a peregrine which caught up with and made a shallow stoop on the
trailing member of the group. The shorebird went down, the peregrine
circled back and landed, talons down in the spot where the yellowlegs
dropped. I could not see any more because the sedges blocked the view and
after 10 minutes, the falcon lifted off again, this time lazily drifting
downwind to the south. Almost immediately upon departure, three crows landed
in the same spot so I assume there were leftovers. Later while walking
along the shore I came upon a gull with the breast eaten out, a typical
falcon left over.

Rob Sandelin
Naturalist, Writer, Teacher
Snohomish County