Dear Tweeters,
Today, the fourteenth of August, there were lots of shorebirds to see in Skagit County. 
At the Samish West Ninety, four LONG-BILLED CURLEWS flew in, calling, then spent a while on the tidal mud at the south end of the dike trail. They were not too impressed by the assaults of a Merlin, which had been pestering three American Kestrels there earlier. Eventually, the four curlews flew off to the south.
At the Fir Island Game Range, AKA Wylie Slough, the Stilt Sandpiper and Solitary Sandpiper gave great views for quite a few birders who were present.
At Fir Island Farm Reserve, formerly called Hayton, there was the usual good show as the tide came in, including some Black-bellied Plovers, Semipalmated Plovers, lots of Killdeer, both species of Yellowlegs, one Long-billed Dowitcher, lots of Western and Least Sandpipers, a Semipalmated Sandpiper, and two Pectoral Sandpipers. For the day, I saw 16 species of shorebirds. I think that was only the second time I'd seen that many in one day here.
The best bird of the day was a BLACK TERN there at Fir Island Farm Reserve, only the second one I've ever seen in Skagit County. It flew around the tidal basin for quite a while.

Yours truly,
Gary Bletsch
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