Subject: [Tweeters] Skagit migrants
Date: May 2 19:28:28 2010
From: Gary Bletsch - garybletsch at yahoo.com


Dear Tweeters,

Today (Sunday, 5-02-2010) was a good day for birding Skagit County, at least in the morning, before the rain got heavy.

In Hamilton was an Olive-sided Flycatcher. Nearby was a warbler flock that included 1 Myrtle & 10 Audubon's, an Orange-crowned, some heard-only Black-throated Grey, and two Nashville Warblers. With this flock was a Warbling Vireo. Three Band-tailed Pigeons were at the wetland on the east edge of town.

On Cockreham Island was a male Lazuli Bunting. A little brown bird near it was probably a female Lazuli. A flock of Canada Geese has been here for two days now; a lone Greater White-fronted Goose has been with them.

In Lyman and also at the Samish West Ninety, Soras could be heard calling.

Today, one Whimbrel was at the same spot where I saw two yesterday, on the Dahlstedt Road. Today's bird was hard to see, foraging in some longer grass than where the two were yesterday--unless the stuff grew a few inches overnight. A flock of crows right near it were very easy to see, strutting about with heads held high. The Whimbrel kept low. Perhaps this was because two adult Bald Eagles were sitting out in the middle of a field about three hundred yards away from the Whimbrel.

At the Samish West Ninety was a flock of about 110 Greater White-fronted Geese, accompanied by 9 Snow Geese.

At March Point was a male Lesser Scaup, way out off the point with Surf Scoters. On the Fidalgo Bay side of the point was a female Greater Scaup.

I looked at a lot of barbs on a lot of wires attached to a lot of T-posts today, but could not find a kingbird. It seemed like the kind of day when they might show up, but no such luck.

This weekend, I saw my first three evidences of birds breeding this spring. Yesterday at Lyman, I saw two little Canada Goslings. Today at the Skagit Airport Ponds was a baby American Coot, swimming among five adults. On the Green Road I saw my first American Robin eggshell of the year.

Now, if the Mariners could just get some runs across the plate, this would be a great spring....

Yours truly,

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