Mike gave the OK for me to share his report and photos with you - you're in for a treat:


I went to Spencer Island this afternoon and discovered it is closed till November 1. I was surprised and confused but the road-closed and trail-closed signs intimidated me. Since the Skagit delta was only another 35 minutes farther, I made that Plan B. I knew there wouldn?t be any snow geese yet....it?s too early.....OOPS!, so up first is the snow geese photo (1). There were none on the ground but I caught these and another 50 or so passing by far out over the Sound.

Well, it was a ?raptorous? day, by which I mean I have photos of six raptors. I?ll start with the star of today?s show, an immature peregrine falcon (2). Later, I caught him as he zipped by toward the robin and starling crowd (3). He missed and landed on the snag to regroup and snub me (4-5). Then I was lucky to time him right as he launched off again (6). It is said that they are the fastest living things on earth.

On with the other raptors. One of the adult eagles is back from his Canada vacation (7). Near where I first saw the falcon was the immature red-tailed hawk (8). And a quarter-mile or so beyond him was the Cooper?s hawk (9). Earlier a female northern harrier was in the vicinity (10). And to finish the raptors, the last photo taken, along Maupin Rd., was of the male American kestrel (11).

Now we go back to the ponds of the Wiley Rd. WDFW site, where the yellowlegs and dowitchers were still in the big pond. First is a long-billed dowitcher (12). Next is a yellowlegs, but I am going out on a limb and claiming this one is a lesser yellowlegs (13), rather than a greater yellowlegs. As for ducks, lots of mallards and wood ducks. However, the photos are of a female northern shoveler (14) and a pair of female cinnamon teals (15). In the trees near the ponds, there were many finches attacking the berries (16). Late in the day it was common to see 20-30 finches in the air at one time.

To finish, a little scenery.....Mt. Baker, seen as I drove along Wiley Rd. (17), and the Olympic mountains, seen from the Hayton Preserve (18). And finally, out there somewhere in #18, it?s today?s heron (19).

Mike

photos can be seen at : http://www.mikehamilton.biz/

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Barb Deihl

North Matthews Beach - NE Seattle

barbdeihl at comcast.net

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