Hey Tweets - After seeing the Bellingham Rusty Blackbird today, I was "swimming" back home in the deluge and made a lap around Camano Island, then back to the freeway via Norman Road south of Stanwood. As I rounded a curve near Cliffhaven Jersey Farm, I spotted a falcon on a utility pole. I slammed on the brakes and got the bins on it: Prairie Falcon - that's what came to me based on its plumage/size/shape. I grabbed the camera as the bird flushed and fired off a few shots. In the bins, the bird had a light head and was clearly larger than a Kestrel or Merlin but did not have the bulk I associate with a Peregrine. There had been multiple reports of a Prairie Falcon in the general area but the last eBird sighting was about 3 weeks ago. I sent the only clear images I managed to Bud Anderson the falcon researcher, but my photos were inconclusive for him to determine either Prairie or Peregrine. I appreciated his willingness to have a look. I'm mentioning all of this because if you're in the Norman Road area between Silvana and Stanwood, keep a sharp eye because I think the Prairie Falcon is still in the neighborhood.

Tom Mansfield at home in Seattle