Subject: [Tweeters] Whatcom County Big Day
Date: May 12 22:55:52 2014
From: Fanter Lane - fanterlane at gmail.com


Hi tweeters,
Yesterday (Sunday) Mitch Blanton, Casey McHugh, and I did a big day around
Whatcom county. We had a goal to beat our big day last may of 100. It was
an incredible day with lots of great birds and good weather. Our final
count was 115 species from about 5:00am to 7:00pm, we did not do much
owling since we all have families and it was mothers day.

We started in the foothills of Mt Baker picking up some target species like
Townsend's and MacGillivray's Warbler, red crossbill, evening grosbeak, and
Varied Thrush.

Then up to the top where we had a calling N. pygmy owl (nice surprise),
American pipit, gray jay, sooty grouse and Townsend's Solitaire.

After that, we birded the Deming Eagle Park on truck rd where we finished
off our warblers snagging a Nashville and all the other common species.

It was about 8am by then so we drove to Hannegen flats where the 3 Ross's
Geese continue to be seen with 3 G. white fronted geese. There was also 10
other duck species in the flooded fields.

Happy that the geese where still around we drove over to the Ferndale Flats
where we scored another good species, Yellow-headed Blackbird. Also in the
flooded farm fields there were calling sora, Cinnamon teal and 3 lesser
yellowlegs.

Seeing that our list lacked a lot of forest species we went to Whatcom
Falls park and got American dipper feeding chicks at a nest! also in the
area was Hutton's vireo, brown creeper, bushtit and Anna's Hummingbird.

The rest of the day was spent picking up the harder to find but resident
species around Bellingham area. We got our fill of shorebirds, gulls, and
sea ducks at Birch Bay and Drayton Harbor.

I do have to add that our last bird of the day was a green heron sitting on
the floats beneath the Fairhaven Alaska ferry dock!!

Even though it seemed we were picking up species left and right, some birds
alluded us like warbling vireo, western tanager, greater yellowlegs, hermit
thrush, horned grebe, and Brant (which we saw across the waterway in
Canadian waters.

Really great getting out and about at such great time of year with great
people, we all had a great day!

Good birding, Fanter Lane
Acme Washington
fanterlane at gmail.com
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