Date: 4/26/24 11:53 am From: via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Skagit Area "Survey"
Hello all,
Having just returned from Belize I was anxious to see the changes that have happened in just 3 weeks since I had last gone out birding in Skagit County. The following represents what I saw/noticed. I drove out to the East 90, then to Fir Island, then back to the East 90 - in about 5 or 6 hours and stopping to just sit and watch at many different locations. I left the house just before noon and didn't return until just before sunset (7-ish).
Significantly less Bald Eagles, all of them I saw were probably associated with active nests. Most of the active nests had "one white head sticking up". I did not observe any young but I was looking up from below so wouldn't have seen them until they are getting ready to fledge. I saw around a dozen or so eagles - at all the usual places (Samish River/East 90, Hayton, Allen West, etc.). (I found Shep's report of 75 eagles at Nisqually to be Amazing - are there fish running there that aren't in the Samish or Lower Skagit?)
Very few Red-tailed Hawks. Less than half a dozen, probably more like 3.
Zero Short-eared Owls at the East 90. This was in spite of sitting and just watching for an hour about 1 and another hour from 5:30 to 6:30.
About 6 Northern Harriers. Two of them I saw at the East 90.
No other raptor species. Zip-zero.
At most 1/4 of the ducks of any species as before we left. These were scattered around and mostly in ditches/sloughs. There was no standing water in the fields which surely contributed. Most of them were probably Mallards but I did not have my spotting scope with me to Id the ones at long distances.
There are passerines - everywhere - but not in large numbers. We have seen the first Goldfinch in breeding colors at our feeder/fountain. Our seed feeder went empty while we were gone so the birds are still re-discovering our backyard.
There were Dunlin and sandpipers and yellow legs and other shore birds and ducks at Hayton. In fact this was the largest aggregation of birds I saw. I also stopped for about 1/2 hour at Jensen and there were very few birds out on the water. The tide was coming in both there and at Hayton.
A "normal" amount of gulls - meaning everywhere but scattered and no large flocks.
So that's the story for the Samish Flats, Skagit Flats, and the 90's.
- Keep your eyes to the sky and trees and bushes ... Jim
