Dear Tweeters,

Today (16 June 2012) a BLACK-THROATED SPARROW popped up along Martin Road, just out of Rockport (Skagit County). This was about halfway between the fishing access parking area and the ninety-degree bend to the south, and just north of a house with a dog named Rocky that often sallies forth to accost passersby.

This was at least the third Black-throated Sparrow occurrence in Skagit County this spring.

Also on Martin Road were a singing Red-eyed Vireo and a Common Nighthawk. Resting on a floating log in the river, visible from the fishing access, was an immature Bonaparte's Gull, not a common bird upriver.

I birded Barnaby Slough after Martin Road, but then a heavy rain started, making it bootless to carry on.

Yours truly,

Gary Bletsch



Gary Bletsch?Near Lyman, Washington (Skagit County), USA?garybletsch at yahoo.com?"Nun," sagte ich, "wenn ich ein Taugenichts bin, so ist's gut, so will ich in die Welt gehen, und mein Glueck machen." Und eigentlich war mir das recht lieb, denn es war mir kurz vorher selber eingefallen, auf Reisen zu gehen, da ich die Goldammer, welche im Herbst und Winter immer betruebt an unserm Fenster sang: "Bauer, miet' mich, Bauer, miet' mich!" nun in der schoenen Fruehlingszeit wieder ganz stolz und lustig vom Baume rufen hoerte: "Bauer, behalt' deinen Dienst!"