Dear Tweeters,

A fine drake Wood Duck was on the west pond at Cockreham Island yesterday evening (March 1). I had hoped that Wood Ducks would winter in the county this year, since a few had lingered near Mount Vernon into December, but I never did find any in January or February.

Even though I drove around Cockreham Island for only about ten minutes in the late afternoon, I was surprised at how bird may birds I found. Out in the fields, hundreds of Mallards, about a hundred Trumpeter Swans, and fifty Canada Geese were foraging. A Merlin made a pass at the west pond.

The south pond continues to languish. This is one of the best inland shorebird spots in Skagit County, but the dry weather since last summer has left this pond a mere wet spot. I hope the people who bought the farm here don't get any ideas about filling or otherwise altering this swale; enough of the birding sites in Skagit County have been "improved" for one decade.

In the trees along the Skagit River here, a pair of Bald Eagles attended their nest.

A Northern Shrike hunted the fields near the west end of the island, and a Red-tailed Hawk had the northeast corner of the island for itself. I am sure I would have found a lot more birds out there if I'd just got out of the car!

Yours truly,

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

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