Thomle, Boe and Eide Rd. sites: I only saw one Snowy Owl way up on
the beach to the north at the end of Boe Rd. Other reported having
een one or 2 Snowies earlier in the day from Thomle, but neither I or
other birders saw any while we were there in the afternoon. However,
at the end of the afternoon I went to Big Ditch and saw 2 SNOW a 1/4
mi.(?) up the dike and to the west, around some driftwood and in the
tall grass. Several other people came off the dike while I was
getting onto it, and shared enthusiastic descriptions and directions
with me about the 2 Snowies.

At the end of my visit I was pleased to have a very pleasant
conversation with a young hunter who had stopped by the 5 p.m.
deadline and was done for the day, unlike quite a few hunters who
still were shooting in the vicinity, which seems to be common practice
as well as against regulations. I received a note from someone on
this list telling me of witnessing another improper hunting practice
involving a dog released into the Nature Conservancy Reserve 'Safe
Zone' at the end of Boe Rd., just before 5 p.m., flushing some ground-
feeding geese, giving some hunters extra shots before 5 at the geese
as they flew over the hunters in the hunting zone. Earlier I learned
from the wildlife agent that shooting into a flock on the ground is
considered unethical and frowned upon, but is not against regulations.
Hunting season (except for falconers, according to the young hunter),
is over at 5 p.m. today, Sunday, January 29.

A word on my findings about field and dike access - basically, after
hunting season ends today, no one is supposed to walk the dike or
cross the Thomle field, according to both the property owner and one
of the wildlife agents. BUT, I got other responses about this issue
and have thoughts of my own that I would be glad to share offlist...
And, the Eide Rd. dike is still 'fair game' as is the easy-walk dike
at Big Ditch, just a couple miles north of Hwy 532 on 102nd NW (?)
which becomes the Old Pacific Highway and leads to the sharp left turn
onto the dirt road which heads west to the BD parking lot - Vehicle
Access Permit or Discovery Pass required to park at both of these
sites. See the Opperman book for more details on Big Ditch.

Good owling and better 'goosing' in the calmer days ahead...


Barb Deihl

North Matthew Beach - NE Seattle

barbdeihl at comcast.net

www.flickr.com/photos/deihl