Subject: [Tweeters] Raptors in the Skamish Flats - Mon. 11/5/12
Date: Nov 7 12:49:04 2012
From: Barbara Deihl - barbdeihl at comcast.net


Headed north to see if I could spot more Short-eared Owls at several of the Skagit/Samish (Skamish, to me). First stop was Eide Rd. in Stanwood. With the help of Greg Hensen, who was already at Eide when I got there, I finally spotted at least 4 SEOW way in the distance - Greg had seen even more last Friday and said they came in closer. We also saw and discussed 2 female Northern Harriers and one male NOHA and a nice light and unskittery Rough-legged Hawk, as well as some Western Meadowlarks. Only about 3 hunters. 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. We heard the SEOW barking, an added bonus.

Next I went to the North Access at the end of Rawlins Rd. and immediately saw one hunting SEOW out in the field to the west, and then an American Bittern that I accidentally flushed from walking past it on the dike. One female NOHA was out there when I was (3:45-ish). On my way out I saw an American Kestrel (male) on a phone wire near the intersection of Rawlins and Maupin Rds.

Finally I made my way up to the Samish Flats area called West 90, and, between 4:15 and 5:15 p.m. As I drove from Edison (no Merlin seen in town) along Bayview- Edison Rd toward W-90, I saw lots of hawks hovering over fields - it was fun to see them start up high and then move to lower and lower levels as they hunted - sometimes they disappeared into the grass for a bit when they got low and other times they rose up high again and started the downward process again. The most striking one I watched was a Rough-legged Hawk over the field across from the flooded "Dunlin" fields along Bayview-Edison Rd.

A Peregrine Falcon crossed BV-E Rd. as I was driving to West 90. It was flying to the north.

At West Ninety, from the paved path, I did see 4-5 Short-eared Owls, not hovering, but doing their usual hunting flights. 2 pair, one that was to the south and one pair to the west. As at Eide Rd., the SEOW would occasionally harass a NOHA or 2.

There were lots of Red-tailed Hawks everywhere I was that day and a few Bald Eagles, as well as a few Great Blue Herons and of course, all the smaller birds that I ignored that afternoon. No Merlin sightings all afternoon. Did spot a Cooper's Hawk as I was driving north on I-5.

Again, the owls made my day.


Barb Deihl

North Matthews Beach - NE Seattle

barbdeihl at comcast.net