Returned yesterday from the Raptor Bird Fest in Pateros (and a van trip up to Chelan Ridge), and the follow-on trip up to Harts Pass led by Bud Anderson the next day (Sunday). Lots of hard work by so many volunteers and some very special moments of "bird magic."

Stopped at the old Northern State Hospital now called the Northern State Recreation Area ( http://www.skagitcounty.net/Common/asp/default.asp?d=ParksAndRecreation&c=General&p=parks/nsra.htm) before returing to Bellingham. Sometime ago several people had reported birding there, Gary Bletsch being one of them. Yesterday, in the middle of the afternoon, lots of hazy sunshine, swallows over the open meadow at the parking lot (probably will be playing fields some day), huge amounts of large, ripe blackberries, not many other birds. But what a wonderful open space for the folks in Skagit County.

Gayle Stebbings
Bellingham, WA
gstebbings at comcast dot net
around the corner from the Roeder Home