Hi Tweets



A group from Eastside Audubon took a trip to the Samish/Skagit/Stillaguamish
Flats today. The day started out gray and drizzly and stayed gray and with
light rain. In spite of that we had a good day.



We had a couple of RED-TAILED HAWKs along I-5 going north. As we dropped
down into the Skagit Valley we had a good opportunity to study some swans ?
a nice bunch of TRUMPETER SWANs and a couple of TUNDRA SWANs, a few CANADA
GEESE and some MALLARDs.



As we drove further north on I-5 the fields to the east were covered with
more swans ? probably more than 500 spread along about a ? mile of road.



We worked over many of the side roads off of Chuckanut Drive picking up more
swans, lots more Mallards, an AMERICAN KESTREL, AMERICAN ROBINs, EUROPEAN
STARLINGs (lots), NORTHERN HARRIER, EURASIAN COLLARED DOVEs, HOUSE FINCH,
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, SONG SPARROW, DARK-EYED JUNCO, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL
(and G-W/Western hybrids), and a single CALIFORNIA GULL. By the time we got
back to Chuckanut Drive we had seen several more RED-TAILED HAWKs and at
least 25 BALD EAGLEs. Along Chuckanut Drive north of Bow Hill Rd. the fields
were loaded with AMERICAN WIGEON and included probably 6 or more EURASIAN
WIGEON. Lots of NORTHERN PINTAIL were mixed in and plenty of Mallards.



GREEN-WINGED TEAL were in the slough just outside of Edison, tons more
Mallards, some more Northern Pintail, still more BALD EAGLEs. As we turned
onto Bayview-Edison Rd. there was a group of AMERICAN COOTs, and a couple of
COMMON RAVENs We saw another RED-TAILED HAWK, more BALD EAGLEs, and a
ROUGH-WINGED HAWK.



At the West 90 there were ROUGH-WINGED HAWK, RED-TAILED HAWK, BALD EAGLEs,
NORTHERN SHOVELER, MALLARD, SONG SPARROW, WESTERN MEADOWLARK. A KILLDEER
flew over. Out in one of the further fields was a huge mass of Wigeon (too
distant to distinguish to species ? probably American).



At Wharf Rd. on Samish Island we could see BRANT, COMMON GOLDENEYE, SURF
SCOTER, BUFFLEHEAD, HORNED GREBE, RED-NECKED GREBE, COMMON LOON,
RED-THROATED LOON, and LONG-TAILED DUCK. A distant PELAGIC CORMORANT flew
by. In the bushes by the road there were HOUSE FINCH, AMERICAN ROBIN,
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH, and a small flock of GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWs on the
ground.



At the new WDFW access point on Bayview-Edison Rd. we saw more SONG
SPARROWs, AMERICAN ROBIN, and a perched SHORT-EARED OWL. Two flocks of
DUNLIN zipped by. A quick lunch at the Padilla Bay Interpretive Center (nice
to be in out of the rain). At Bayview State Park we saw a bunch more
BUFFLEHEAD and some GREATER SCAUP and a STELLER?S JAY. South of Bayview we
saw more Bald Eagles, and another ROUGH-WINGED HAWK.



Scattered along our route were many more swans, and a large group of distant
flying SNOW GEESE.



It was very quiet at the Valentine Road feeders, but we did pick up BEWICK?S
WREN, NORTHERN FLICKER, and GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET.



Down on Fir Island we stopped at Wylie Road and saw AMERICAN WIGEON and
RING-NECKED DUCK in the small slough. At the WDFW headquarters we got nice
scope views of the GREAT HORNED OWL on the nest.



South of Stanwood the fields south of Thomle Rd had several thousand SNOW
GEESE. At the end of Boe Rd there was a perched COOPER?S HAWK and
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK and some WESTERN MEADOWLARKs singing. Along Norman Rd. we
picked up many more BALD EAGLEs (by this time we were over 50 eagles).



At the rest areas south of the Arlington turnoff we picked up
CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE.



At various spots along the day we saw GREAT BLUE HERONs, more swans, more
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLs, AMERICAN CROWs, AMERICAN ROBINs, RED-WINGED
BLACK-BIRDs, BREWER?S BLACKBIRDs, and HOUSE SPARROWs.



It was a good day ? although rainy. We finished with 58 species.



Good Birding



Brian H. Bell

Woodinville WA

mail to bell asoc a t iso media dot com