Dear Tweeters,
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After enjoying century days in Skagit this year in April and May, I decided to try for three months in a row. Today was the day, and it?turned out to be a good day to do it. The old record for Skagit in June was 82, and I found about 118 species today. I say "about" because I started this day of birding at 0150, and just hung up my binoculars a few minutes ago, which was 2150, and I am too tired to check my arithmetic.
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Highlights are below.
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American Bittern, Green Road.
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Green-winged Teal, three at Burmaster Road.
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Ruddy Duck, a resplendent male at Green Road Pond.
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California Quail, two at Anacortes Telescope at dusk.
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Wilson's Snipe, one winnowing at my place a few minutes ago, bird number 118!
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Wilson's Phalarope, one female at Samish Flats (the Wood Sandpiper spot).
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Greater Yellowlegs, one at Big Indian Slough.
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Rhinoceros Auklets and Marbled Murrelets at Ship Harbor.
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N. Saw-whet Owl, one on Illabot Creek Road, shortly before dawn.
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Northern Pygmy Owl, two on Illabot Creek Road.
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Anna's Hummingbird, one at Ship Harbor.
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Dusky Flycatcher, one at Howard Miller Steelhead Park.
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Least Flycatcher, one across the river from Corkindale.
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Olive-sided Flycatcher, one singing at Ship Harbor, eighth flycatcher of the day!
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Willow Flycatcher, lots of them in various?places today.
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Western Kingbird, one at Corkindale.
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Cassin's and Red-eyed Vireos both singing at Barnaby Slough.
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Hutton's Vireo singing up the hill from Green Road Pond, with Bushtits nearby.
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Hermit Thrushes singing on Illabot Creek Road.
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Nine species of warbler, all the expected ones except Redstart.
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Chipping Sparrows, several upriver here and there.
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Birds I missed today included Pintail (present yesterday on Minkler Flats), falcons, Ruffed Grouse, Calidrines, Great Horned Owl, Common Nighthawk and Black Swift, Downy Woodpecker, House Wren, and Red-breasted Nuthatch.
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It was also a good day for amphibians and mammals. A fat western toad crossed in front of me on Illabot Creek Road. Mammals included deer, porpoise, seal, cottontail, snowshoe hare, grey squirrel, some sort of hopping mouse, and lots of humans.
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The itinerary was roughly this: Illabot Creek Road; Barnaby Slough; Marblemount; Corkindale; Rockport Quarry; Howard Miller; Martin Road; Van Horn; Grassmere;?Hamilton; Cockreham?Island; my house; Minkler Flats; Butler Flats; Samish Flats; Samish Island; Samish Island again; Bay View Cemetery; Big Indian Slough; March Point; Ship Harbor; Gage's Lake; my house.?
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Yours truly,
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Gary Bletsch
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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!"