Subject: [Tweeters] some Skagit birds
Date: Nov 8 17:58:18 2014
From: Gary Bletsch - garybletsch at yahoo.com


Dear Tweeters,
Only two birders showed up for my WOS trip today, 8 July 2014,?at Rosario Head, but we had a fantastic day. It was jolly fun birding with Margaret Snell and Ruth Godding. We had near-perfect weather, although I did verge on hubris when I expressed a desire for a bit of cloud cover to block the brilliant rays of the sun.
Here are some highlights.
Pacific Loon, one at Rosario Head.
Eared Grebe, 1 on the final stop on our trip at March Point, plus one that I saw later at Samish Island Public Beach.
CANVASBACK, an extraordinary 28 of them on Lake Erie, by far the largest concentration of them I have seen in Skagit County.
REDHEAD, five with the Canvasbacks on Lake Erie, along with at least 700 other Aythya ducks. The most Redheads I had ever seen before in Skagit was four, so this was also a high count.
GLAUCOUS GULL, a third-winter bird flew right by us at Rosario Head.
THAYER'S GULL, one adult at Rosario Head.
ANCIENT MURRELET, five at Rosario Head.
After bidding adieu to Ruth and Margaret, I continued birding at a few more spots, finally managing?a November century day. I think the total was 101 species--with no Red-necked Grebe, no Western Grebe, no Cackling Goose, no Green-winged Teal, no Ruddy Duck, and no Steller's Jay!

Yours truly,
Gary Bletsch