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March 7 , 2008

Skagit & Samish Flats with Brian Bell

I lead a trip for WOS yesterday to the Samish and Skagit Flats. The fields to the west of I-5 at the Conway exit were full of swans, including both TRUMPETER and TUNDRA. As usual we saw lots (30+) of BALD EAGLEs up on the Samish Flats. We cruised the roads around Chuckanut Drive looking for the Gyrfalcon with no luck. We did have 40+ RED-TAILED HAWKs with light and dark morphs and most everything in between. In the fields along Chuckanut, north of Bow we had a good representation of ducks including MALLARDs, GADWALL, NORTHERN PINTAIL, AMERICAN WIGEON and EURASIAN WIGEON.

Near the mouth of the Samish River we saw BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, DARK-EYED JUNCO and GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWs. Out at the West 90 there were Red-tails, Bald Eagles, and NORTHERN HARRIERs, but the Short-eared Owls took the day off. Just north of the West 90 there was a PEREGRINE FALCON in the field. At the Access Point at the end of Wharf Rd. on Samish Island we saw COMMON GOLDENEYE, BUFFLEHEAD, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, COMMON LOON, HORNED GREBE, BRANT, BRANDT'S CORMORANT and a RED-THROATED LOON. A RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD was at a feeder on Samish Island - nice to see one back.

On Fir Island, we picked up AMERICAN KESTREL, more raptors, and some distant flocks of SNOW GEESE.

Elsewhere during the day we saw LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, LONG-BILLED DUCK, HARLEQUIN DUCK, PELAGIC and DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS, AMERICAN CROW and COMMON RAVEN, GREAT BLUE HERON, SONG SPARROW, FOX SPARROW, SURF and WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, PIGEON GUILLEMOT, and PACIFIC LOON.

It was a good day.

Brian H. Bell