Subject: [Tweeters] Eastside Audubon Samish Flats trip 25 Nov 2019
Date: Tue Nov 26 08:28:09 PST 2019
From: B P Bell - bellasoc at isomedia.com

Hi Tweets



Yesterday, Eastside Audubon took a trip to the Samish-Skagit Flats. We met
early under lightly raining skies and 42F, that stopped while we were
meeting. As we drove north we continued with occasional light rain until
Everett where it was just overcast and dry. Early birding was slow with a
single GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL. At the Smokey Point Rest Area we saw DARK-EYED
JUNCO, HOUSE SPARROW. North on I-5 we picked up RED-TAILED HAWK, a couple of
Swans overhead and AMERICAN CROW.



As we dropped down toward the Skagit Valley we had slightly broken skies,
and at Conway we saw RED-TAILED HAWK, COMMON RAVEN, ROCK PIGEON, EUROPEAN
STARLING, BREWER'S BLACKBIRD and BALD EAGLE.



We then made our first stop at the Skagit Farms/Hayton Reserve with BALD
EAGLE, RED-TAILED HAWK, MALLARD, AMERICAN WIGEON, PIED-BILLED GREBE,
BUFFLHEAD, lots of SNOW GEESE overhead (and more and more showed up),
NORTHERN HARRIER, PEREGRINE FALCON (Tundra variety), GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, a
few dowitcher species flew overhead, GREAT BLUE HERON, SONG SPARROW,
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, EUROPEAN STARLING and SPOTTED TOWHEE.



We made a stop at Wylie Rd. and the Skagit Game Range and picked up
TRUMPETER SWAN, a single TUNDRA SWAN, RED-TAILED HAWK (along the road),
EUROPEAN STARLING, SONG SPARROW, DARK-EYED JUNCO, HOUSE FINCH, GREAT BLUE
HERON, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, NORTHERN HARRIER,
MALLARD, AMERICAN ROBIN, NORTHERN FLICKER, a nice male HAIRY WOODPECKER,
CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD, PINE SISKIN, AMERICAN
GOLDFINCH, GADWALL, NORTHERN SHOVELER (female), EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE,
SPOTTED TOWHEE, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, AMERICAN ROBIN and RED-TAILED HAWK (at
the Game Range).



As we cruised east on Fir Island Rd. we had several hundred SNOW GEESE in
the air and landing approaching Skagit City Rd. Along the road we saw
RED-TAILED HAWK, perhaps a few thousand SNOW GEESE approaching in long lines
from the north (every time we checked the skies there were more geese coming
in), NORTHERN FLICKER, COMMON RAVEN, BALD EAGLE. Along Polson Rd, was a
GREAT BLUE HERON. Along Moore Rd. were RED-TAILED HAWK, AMERICAN KESTREL,
NORTHERN FLICKER and TRUMPETER SWAN.



We went out Rawlins Road and saw RED-TAILED HAWK, MALLARD, BALD EAGLE,
NORTHERN HARRIER, NORTHERN SHRIKE (in the same bush as on Friday), GREAT
BLUE HERON, RING-BILLED GULL, EUROPEAN STARLING, AMERICAN WIGEON (several
hundred at a distance on the bay), NORTHRN FLICKER, DUNLIN, WESTERN
MEADOWLARK and AMERICAN KESTREL.



At Rancho Valentine on Valentine Rd. we saw SPOTTED TOWHEE, a DOWNY
WOODPECKER at the suet feeder, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET,
ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD, STELLER'S JAY, HOUSE SPARROW, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH and
BROWN CREEPER. We drove out to Channel Drive (the wind had picked up - it
had been calm before - and we had lunch in the cars). We saw HOODED
MERGANSER, MALLARD, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, NORTHERN PINTAIL, GADWALL, RED-TAILED
HAWK, AMERICAN CROW, AMERICAN ROBIN, BUFFLEHEAD, and NORTHERN HARRIER.



At the Padilla Bay Center there were BALD EAGLE and a PEREGRINE FALCON flew
overhead. Along Bayview-Edison Rd. we had RED-TAILED HAWK, BLACK-BELLIED
PLOVER, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, a bush with 50-60 HOUSE FINCH. On Samish Island
Rd. we saw BALD EAGLE and RED-TAILED Hawk. At the West 90 there were
RED-TAILED HAWK, BALD EAGLE, NORTHERN HARRIER, COMMON RAVEN, EUROPEAN
STARLING, AMERICAN WIGEON and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. Back on Samish Island
Rd. there were more BALD EAGLEs, TRUMPETER SWAN, NORTHERN SHRIKE, and
DUNLIN.



At the access on Wharf Rd., with now quite windy conditions and swell on
Samish Bay, we saw BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON GOLDENEYE, SURF SCOTER, LONG-TAILED
DUCK, BRANT, MEW GULL, NORTHERN FLICKER, BONAPARTE'S GULL, COMMON LOON,
BARROW'S GOLDENEYE, HORNED GREBE, RED-NECKED GREBE, RED-THROATED LO0N, GREAT
BLUE HERON. Back down on Bayview-Edison Rd going toward the East 90 we saw
RED-TAILED HAWK, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, NORTHERN HARRIER, GREAT BLUE HERON,
HOUSE FINCH, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, BALD EAGLE, GREEW-WINGED TEAL and MALLARD
(these in the channel behind the Bread Farm Bakery).



As we made our way home along Chuckanut Drive we saw Rough-legged HAWK,
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE and NORTHERN HARRIER.



It was a good day out under decent weather with good birders. We finished up
with 66 species for the day.



Brian H. Bell

Woodinville Wa

Mail to bell asoc a t iso med i a dot com

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