Here are some additional sightings in the Skagit and Samish areas, the
day before as well as the same day that I just reported on in a post.
Dory & Ray Hamlyn and their friends Don and Mary, related the
following experiences and sightings to me and I offered to post them:

from a couple of emails to me on Wed.:

We began driving with the sunrise just beginning to peak over the
eastern horizon, blazing red and orange. We wanted to reach the
Samish Flats well before high tide. The Dunlins were waiting for us
alongside the road way! Peregrines were diving and flushing the huge
flock into brown and white synchronous waves, their wings humming over
the water. It was the most amazing sight I have ever seen!
-------------
We saw an unbelievable 53 Bald Eagles! (9 in one tree) Also, 1
Harrier, 3 Peregrine, 6 Red Tails, 2 large flocks of Trumpeters, a
flock of Brants, 1 Short Eared Owl, 2 wild Turkeys ..... and a
small assortment of passerines as our focus was elsewhere (Spotted
Towhee, Juncos, 9 Golden Crowned Sparrows, Gold Crowned Kinglet,
Starlings). Also saw Common Loons, GBH, Common Merganzers,
Buffleheads, Belted Kingfishers, D.C. Cormorants, Ring Bill Gulls.
-------------
One raptor is yet unidentified.

------------- Later that evening, these answers to my questions
regarding where they had seen the various birds, came in:

Short-eared Owl - at Hayton Reserve on Fir Is.
Wild Turkeys - Mann Rd., probably not so wild and from LaConner...
3 Peregrines - all on a wire overlooking the Dunlin in the field on
the Bay View-Edison Rd.
Bald Eagles - everywhere, as many north of Hwy. 20 as south of it
Snow Geese - Fir Island
-------------
one more sighting recalled: Greater Yellowlegs at Hayton Reserve

-------------

updates from emails on Fri. and Sat. after researching photos
(including one taken by Don) and after further discussion by the 4
birders:


The highlight of the day was the massive Dunlin flock on the Samish
flats Wed. 1/6/10. It must have numbered in the thousands. We
arrived just after daybreak. Synchronous waves of brown and white
flashed as the flock turned in unison to avoid the diving peregrine.
The humming of Dunlin wings filled the air and rippled the water. It
was the most amazing sight and sound.

Here's additional info on the 54 Bald Eagles: (mainly Samish area)

Our first sighting was an adult Bald Eagle on a telephone pole on the
north side overlooking Hwy 20 after the Swinomish Channel bridge.
Numerous Eagles were then sighted on the road from Bayview up to the
Samish T, followed by sightings of mainly 1st and 2nd year eagles on
Samish Island Road, Samish Island. Proceeding east from Samish T, 9
eagles were spotted in a single tree on the road to Edison. Eagles
also spotted in trees on the east side of Farm to Market Rd. as we
headed south. (Incidentally, this is where we sighted the now
confirmed gyrfalcon.) [as of today, Saturday 1/9/10, the Gyrfalcon
has become a light phase Rough-legged Hawk, after comparing photos
from many sources] We saw the bird on Farm to Market Rd. where
Gyrfalcons have a history.

------------------------------------------

Thanks to Dennis Paulson for correcting my identification of the hawk
with the white "tam" as being an immature Red-tailed Hawk and not a
Rough-legged Hawk.
------------

Barb Deihl

North Matthews Beach - Seattle

barbdeihl at comcast.net