Dear Tweeters,

Three cheers to Scott Atkinson for the Black-and-white Warbler! It was a great day to watch birds in the Upper Skagit today.

I had a 12-species-of-warbler day, all in Skagit County.

YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT--still singing at Van Horn Ponds, 8 days running now.

C. Yellowthroat--here and there.

MacGillivray's Warblers--lots.

BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER--thanks again, Scott! The bird ranged from last year?s Indigo Bunting spot, south a hundred feet or two. Best view was in an isolated aspen near the Indigo spot. Sang a lot, gave Jim Alt and me a few quick views at dawn. Jim taught me a wonderful mnemonic device for the song--"a little girl on a bicycle."

Wilson's Warbler, the toughest of the day, took me two hours to find one--dipped at Rockport State Park in a reliable spot (jays were there), then a long search on Sauk Mtn. Rd., one popped up and sang about 150 meters from SR 20.

American Redstart--one or two at NP Road 213, same spot as Friday.

Yellow Warbler, a few here and there.

Townsend's Warbler, several at Mt. Hardy Burn.

Audubon's Warbler?lots.

Black-throated Grey Warbler--lots here and there, singing, carrying food.

Nashville Warbler--one singing above Rockport Quarry.

Orange-crowned Warbler--one singing in clearcut along Martin Ranch Road.

There were other good birds! As Jim Alt and I were looking at the B&W Warbler, up popped a singing GREY CATBIRD! I think there are now three of these birds within a mile or so of each other, on either side of the Skagit.

THREE-TOED WOODPECKER: pair with nestlings at Mount Hardy Burn.

CASSIN'S FINCH?three at Mount Hardy Burn.

Cinnamon Teal and Sora were both at the wetland at SR 20 milepost 76 shortly before dawn. I head a Common Nighthawk here, too.

Chipping Sparrow?one a mile or two east of NP 213 Road.

I strove mightily to find Scott's Veery from yesterday, walking about 2.8 miles of SR 20 eastward from the National Park sign, but with no success. The Chippy was a nice consolation prize bird.

There were ten or twelve Red Crossbills at Bacon Creek, too.

A non-birder photographed a big owl in Newhalem. A non-birding ranger saw the picture and thought it was a Great Grey. I spent two hours walking in the rain and saw no owls, but did find three RB Sapsucker nests.

Good birding!

Yours truly,

Gary Bletsch Near Lyman, Washington (Skagit County), USA garybletsch at yahoo.com
Gary Bletsch ? Near Lyman, W--quite a few here and there, carrying food, singing, etc.ashington (Skagit County), USA ? garybletsch at yahoo.com ? ?