Subject: [Tweeters] Eastside Audubon trip to Samish/Skagit Flats Jan 15
Date: Jan 16 16:49:44 2014
From: B&PBell - bellasoc at isomedia.com


Hi Tweets



Yesterday, Eastside Audubon took a field trip to the Samish and Skagit
Flats. We started out under clouds and experience some fog as we went thru
Everett, but it then cleared for the rest of the day with even some
sunshine. The first part of our trip we saw a few AMERICAN CROWs and ROCK
PIGEONs, and about a dozen RED-TAILED HAWKs.



As we came down the hill toward the Conway turnoff there were a good group
of swans in the field east of the road. We turned off and went down where we
could scope them. They were mostly all TRUMPETER SWANs, but there were a
couple of TUNDRA SWANs. It was nice that they were relatively close so all
got nice scope views. Moving on we saw more distant swans as we went up
Chuckanut Drive. Turning onto Pulver Road we had a field with mostly
NORTHERN PINTAIL and MALLARD, but they flushed before we could see what else
might have been present. A bunch of DARK-EYED JUNCOs was at the base of
berries vines.



A large group of gulls apparently flushed from near Chuckanut just before we
got back there - probably all Glaucous-winged. Turning onto Ershig Road, we
saw more swans and some descendants of Red Jungle Fowl (not countable).
Along the road we picked up NORTHERN FLICKER, AMERICAN CROW, more swans,
Red-tailed Hawk, HOUSE SPARROW, GREAT BLUE HERON. Turning onto Worline Road
we added to the days total of swans (all Trumpeter), saw more Red-tailed
Hawks, and BALD EAGLE. At the Bow Cemetery we had 3 NORTHERN FLICKERs and a
CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE. Across the street the house with the feeders
yielded more Juncos, House Sparrows, SONG SPARROW. EURASIAN COLLARD-DOVEs
were just down the road.



At the intersection of Bow Hill Rd and Chuckanut there was an immature Bald
Eagle. Looking south there was a huge flock of likely Snow Geese - we chased
them, but they moved off to the south too quickly. Along Chuckanut north of
Bow we saw lots more GLACOUS-WINGED GULLs, distant swans, NORTHERN HARRIER,
and some waterponded fields with MALLARDs, NORTHERN PINTAIL, NORTHERN
SHOVELER, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, AMERICAN WIGEON and GADWALL. An AMERICAN
KESTREL was perched on the telephone line. In Blanchard we saw 3 Great Blue
Herons, had a fly-by BELTED KINGFISHER, a SHARP-SHINED HAWK flew over, at
the feeder station house there were more Juncos, House Sparrows, SPOTTED
TOWHEE, EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVEs, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWs, STELLER'S JAY.



In Edison, we turned north along the slough at the east edge of town and we
had more Green-winged Teal, a BELTED KINGFISHER, and a perched COOPER'S HAWK
(it flew just after we identified it). We missed the Merlin in Edison (third
time in a month I have missed it there). Moving west, we saw a couple more
Northern Harriers, Great Blue Herons, and swans and a couple of COMMON
RAVENs. The big cottonwood north of the road by the modern house had 14 Bald
Eagles (both adult and immature). Out in the field south of the road was
another Northern Harrier. Around the corner at the East 90 we had another
Red-tailed Hawk, and a very nice ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. At the "T"
(Bayview-Edison and Samish Island Roads) there was a PEREGRINE FALCON
perched on the line. Still more Red-tailed Hawks on the poles.



At the West 90 there was a good collection of Red-tailed and Rough-legged
Hawks, still more Northern Harriers and Bald Eagles. WESTERN MEADOWLARKs
sang in the distance, a SONG SPARROW popped up, and a field north of the 90
was loaded with MEW GULLs.



Out at the access at Wharf St. we scoped Samish Bay and picked up HORNED and
RED-NECKED GREBEs, BUFFLEHEAD, LONG-TAILED DUCK, COMMON GOLDENEYE,
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, SURF SCOTER, DOUBLE-CRESTED and PELAGIC CORMORANT,
COMMON, RED-THROATED and PACIFIC LOONs, BRANT.



As we moved south along Bayview-Edison Rd. we saw more Red-tails and
Rough-legged Hawks. At the picnic tables at Bayview State Park there were
many GREATER SCAUP and a couple of LESSER SCAUP. More distantly were more
Northern Pintail and American Wigeon.



Outside of LaConner there were lots of Trumpeter Swans with a sprinkling of
Tundras. We had good activity at the feeders at Valentine Ranch on Valentine
Road. There, we saw DOWNY and HAIRY WOODPECKER (both on the suet feeder at
the same time). BLACK-CAPPED and CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEEs, RED-BREASTED
NUTHATCH, SONG SPARROW, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, FOX SPARROW, RUBY-CROWNED
KINGLET. AMERICAN ROBIN, BUSHTIT, ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD, SPOTTED TOWHEE, and
HOUSE FINCH.



At the end of Rawlins Road on Fir Island we found a perched SHORT-EARED OWL
that gave everyone neat views. The bay was loaded with ducks (too distant
and backlit to i.d.). And, scads of SNOW GEESE were lifting off to join the
several thousand in a field a ways back down the road.



Elsewhere we saw or heard PACIFIC WREN, EUROPEAN STARLING, RED-WINGED
BLACKBIRD, BREWER'S BLACKBIRD, BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD.



It was a great day with good companions and lots of great birds.



Good Birding,



Brian H. Bell

Woodinville Wa

mail to bell asoc at iso medi a dot calm