Today my first birding location was Skagit Wildlife (aka Skagit Game Range, Wylie Slough, etc). With the large flock of 300 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS on pond #2 were 3 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS and 2 SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPERS. Also several each of GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS. And a few WILSON'S SNIPES. An AMERICAN KESTREL flew overhead, shaking things up a bit.

My next stop was Channel Drive. By the time I arrived, the tide was too high for shorebirds. But as I was leaving, a MERLIN was perched atop a tree next to a RED-TAILED HAWK.

Thoughts of Gary Bletsch's Horned Puffin drove me to visit Green Point in Anacortes. Alas, no puffin. But I did enjoy seeing over 20 MARBLED MURRELETS. The BONAPARTE'S GULLS were fun to watch. They would float on the water, fly straight up about 8 feet, turn, and dive to the water, completely disappearing below the surface. While in Anacortes I saw 2 MERLINS: one at Washington Park and one at 12th and L St.

The Samish Flats were quiet. The usual RED-TAILED HAWKS and NORTHERN HARRIERS were about. Saw my first NORTHERN SHRIKE of the season. Also 1 adult and 1 juv PEREGRINE FALCON.

On the way home, I spotted a beautiful MERLIN atop a pole as I drove through Stanwood.

Photos of Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Merlin and Bonaparte's Gulls are at http://www.pbase.com/marvbreece/new_images_of_washington_birds

It was a good day.


Marv Breece
Seattle, WA
mbreece at earthlink.net