Yesterday I birded Whidbey Island. Except for peeps (Least and Western Sandpipers) the shorebirds I sought were in short supply. The most exciting sighting for me were 2 adult PARASITIC JAEGERS harassing some of the hundreds of BONAPARTE'S GULLS on Cultus Bay.

Today was a horse of a different color. I started the day at Channel Drive in Skagit County. SHORT and LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, both YELLOWLEGS, LEAST and WESTERN SANDPIPERS and a single VAUX'S SWIFT among the many BARN SWALLOWS.

While meandering south, I spotted a perched MERLIN on Cook Road, barely east of I5. And 2 AMERICAN KESTRELS on Hwy 20 west of Burlington.

At the Skagit Game Range I saw a GREEN HERON on the slough near the first parking lot. Exactly where I saw it 2 days before. An adult PEREGRINE FALCON hunted ducks and shorebirds. A PURPLE FINCH did it's best Cassin's Vireo song imitation. And with some effort I dug out a BANK SWALLOW from among the many BARN SWALLOWS and a VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW or 2.

Shorebirds at the Skagit Game Range:
Wilson's Snipe
Short-billed Dowitcher - 1 juv
Long-billed Dowitcher - several juvs
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Pectoral Sandpiper - 3 well hidden in the pond #1 foliage
STILT SANDPIPER - 1 with yellowlegs and dows

Not much to see at either Jensen Access or Hayton Preserve on Fir Island. Except for a male AMERICAN KESTREL at Jensen, devouring the last of a meal as I approached.

I stopped at Eide Road, hopefully to repeat Tuesday's bonanza of the Ruff and 4 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers. Not a peep. Not a Killdeer. It's drying up. But on the way out, perched near the highway was a beautiful Taiga MERLIN.

And on Pioneer Hwy near Silvana, not far from I5 was a smashing adult PEREGRINE FALCON.

That's it.

Marv Breece
Seattle, WA
marvbreece at q.com