Subject: [Tweeters] Skagit Sandhill, etc
Date: Feb 13 20:09:08 2011
From: Gary Bletsch - garybletsch at yahoo.com


Dear Tweeters,

Today (Sunday, 2-13-2011), the SANDHILL CRANE was in the same field where it was reported
yesterday by Mike Donohue. Thanks, Mike.

The bird was with Trumpeter Swans in the field at the southeast corner of Allen West and Farm-to-
Market Roads, just south of Rosabella's. For most of the time, it stayed back in the south side of
the field, below a dip in the terrain. It would have been easier to view it from Farm-to-Market,
but there is no shoulder there.

There were some other fun birds to see today. In a field northeast of the West Ninety were
two Peregrines, one small and brown (immature male, I guess), the other very large and pale, with
a creamy breast and pale blue back--adult female, I suppose.

At Samish Island Public Beach, there were not very many birds, but good variety, including
a PACIFIC LOON, a few each of Common and Red-throated Loon, a few Red-necked, Horned, and
Western Grebes, and a few Oldsquaw. A HERMIT THRUSH foraged right on the beach.

At Breazeale Interpretive Center, I took the little upland walk, and was glad I did. A
wonderful flock of woodland birds was up in the southeast corner of the property. This flock
included a HUTTON'S VIREO, both kinglets, two Brown Creepers, both chickadees, a Red-breasted
Nuthatch, a pair of Downies, plus a bunch of Pine Siskins, sparrows, towhees, and juncoes.
In a nearby Douglas Fir foraged a dozen or so Red Crossbills. Their vocalizations sounded
different to me than the jip-jip-jips I am used to hearing, but I cannot say anything more than that.

At Anacortes Ferry Landing (Ship Harbor) was a displaying male ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD. This bird was
in its usual spot--in a small tree between parking spot 822 and the wetland below.

At Green Point in Anacortes, I was surprised that there were, for the second time in two visits
this month, zero Marbled Murrelets. They are usually not so hard to find there this time of year.
There were about thirty Western Grebes, plus a very few Common Murres. One interesting sight
was the first set of white flank patches I have seen on a Pelagic Cormorant this season.

At Bay View State Park was a HYBRID AMERICAN X EURASIAN WIGEON. It looked like a Eurasian,
but its flanks were all pink, with none of the usual grey.

I should also mention that yesterday (2-12-2011), despite the gale-force winds, the Black Phoebe
was easy to view at the Fir Island Game Range. Also present during the windstorm there were four
rather frowsy-looking Barn Swallows.

Yours truly,

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

Mentre che li occhi per la fronda verde
ficcava ?o s? come far suole
chi dietro a li uccellin sua vita perde, lo pi? che padre mi dicea: ?Figliuole,
vienne oramai, ch? ?l tempo che n?? imposto
pi? utilmente compartir si vuole?.??