Dear Tweeters,
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Despite a very late start, a trip to the grocery store, and several hours spent doodling around in marginal habitats, I managed to find 103 species of birds today in Skagit County, 28 April 2013. I think the previous big-day record for Skagit in April was 95 species.
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Highlights follow.
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Greater White-fronted Geese, flocks on Fir Island and Samish Flats.
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Cackling Goose, one on Sullivan Road.
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Oldsquaw, one at March Point.
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Sharp-shinned Hawk, one bothering some Ravens in Bay View.
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Rough-legged Hawk, one at the West Ninety.
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Peregrine Falcon, a?light brown?immature on Samish Flats, trying very hard to look like a Prairie Falcon.
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Semipalmated Plover, 4 at the Game Range.
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Black Turnstone, one at the top secret, maximum security pier on March Point, formerly known as the turnstone spot.
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Solitary Sandpiper, two found earlier today by Ryan Merrill at puddles by the southeast corner of Samish Island.
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Vaux's Swift, one flock on Burmaster Road.
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American Pipit, one at the Game Range.
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Western Kingbird, one at Estes Road, where I could not find Ryan Merrill's Baird's Sandpiper.
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There were lots of big misses today; if I had gotten up early and really tried for a big day all day, I would have?found 110 or more species. There are two days left. in April, if anyone wants to go for it!
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Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
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I found no Pied-billed Grebe, Brandt's Cormorant, Common Merganser, Merlin, Long-billed Dowitcher (seen minutes before I reached the spot at the Game Range), Ring-billed Gull, Rhinoceros Auklet, Common Murre, Marbled Murrelet, Flicker, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Orange-crowned Warbler, or Evening Grosbeak. Quite a few of those were species that I had?found several times yesterday--of course!
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My itinerary included my yard near Cockreham Island, Lyman, Minkler Flats, Clear Lake, Beaver Lake, Mud Lake, Swan Road, Fisher Slough, the Game Range, Jensen Access, March Point, Padilla Bay, Bay View Cemetery, Samish Flats, and Samish Island.
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At Samish Island Public Beach?I observed?an interesting phenomenon. A flotilla of harbor seals was fishing in close to shore, with Glaucous-winged Gulls, Common Loons, Red-breasted Mergansers, and a few other birds picking up the pieces.
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Yours truly,
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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!"