A very planned trip, successfully coordinating good weather mid-
morning high tide with connecting with friend Bernie, from Port
Orchard, turned out great, even though we "just missed" the Peregrines
hunting and feeding on the Dunlin in the fields, the Prairie Falcon, a
Merlin. We also ran out of daylight in the afternoon, so missed the
major aggregations and displays by Snow Geese and Trumpeter Swans on
Fir Island (saw small groups of swans on the Samish Flats). And, we
found a favorite bakery in Edison CLOSED!

However, the following highlights, plus some good food at "Seeds" in
LaConner, easy driving and a couple fortuitous conversations with some
other birders, and, of course, good company, made for a fine full
day. A list of bird highlights includes:

At least 50 Bald Eagles, 1000 (?) Dunlin sleeping and softly peeping
(snoring?!) in fields along Bay View/Edison Rd., 3 Black-bellied
Plover just beyond the Dunlin, one apparently full adult Peregrine
Falcon, half-heartedly on the lookout on a utility post near the
snoozing Dunlin, a Bald Eagle pair in-and-out of their nest in a big
tree, some good looks at Rough-legged Hawks, including one at West 90
with a large white "tam"/"target" on it's head (see photos), several
Red-tailed Hawks, a Short-eared Owl (at West 90), interplay (over
prey?) between a male Northern Harrier and a juvenile Bald Eagle.
Along the road between West 90 and Samish Island, on the east side, we
watched a Northern Shrike chase a small bird - never saw the end
result. In Edison, at the slough, we were impressed by the beautiful
Green-winged Teal males, their colorful plumage gleaming in the
sunlight and their soft whistles filling the air at that corner (the
closed-bakery corner). Also there, a single Common Raven sat in a
tree talking to himself. At Bay View St. Pk. beach, we saw a few Red-
breasted Merganser, about 60 Brant, 40 Northern Pintail, several
Common Loon. We had been told by a local birder that there was a
Hutton's Vireo somewhere along the upland trail at the Padilla Bay
Interpretive Ctr., but we didn't take time to look for it. On Fir
Island, at dusk and beyond, especially at the Jensen Access, thousands
of Snow Geese were still out over the water sounding off as probable
eagles caused them to raise up and down in waves. At 5 o'clock we
finally called it a day and left the sights and sounds behind us in
the dark.

Photos of Bald Eagles, Dunlin, a Rough-legged Hawk with an albinistic
"hat", an adult Peregrine on a wire and some nice scenery, are
available upon request, by email.

Thanks to John O'Connell of Anacortes and Jim Alt (from the area) for
their helpful leads for further sightings, and thanks to Jim, for
helping solve the "Mystery of the Missing Field Tripper" from the
Skagit Audubon Field Trip on Dec. 3, 2009. I no longer think of the
event as the "Big Ditch" - that reference now remains connected to the
nice birding place near Stanwood!!!

Barb Deihl

North Matthews Beach-Seattle

barbdeihl at comcast.net