[Tweeters] Samish & Whidbey on 3/8/21

[B P Bell]

Hi Tweets

 

Yesterday I took advantage of the clear weather to take a trip to the Samish
Flats/ Samish Island, March Point and Whidbey Island, although it was very
windy. On the way  up I-5 there were a few American Crows and one Red-tailed
Hawk. As I came down onto the Skagit Valley there was a nice flock of swans
- scoping showed both Trumpeter and Tundra Swans in a field to the right of
the LaConner exit. At the Chuckanut Drive exit there was a large group of
Mallards and American Wigeon. Pulver Rd. and Cook Rd. were birdless -
unusual. Ershig Rd. did have a few Mallards and a few American Wigeon.
Worline Rd. had more swans (but too distant to i.d. well) , and a couple of
American Robins. At the house with feeders on Bow Cemetary Rd. there were
Dark-eyed Junco, Song Sparrow and White-crowned Sparrow.

 

Back on Chuckanut Drive there was a flyover Bald Eagle, and a pond with lots
of Northerrn Pintail. At the lagoon off Legg Rd & Chuckanut (in Blanchard)
there were more Northern Pintail, and at Colony Rd there was a House
Sparrow. Back down Chuckanut there was a Red-tailed Hawk. West along W. Bow
Hill Rd into Edison, Smith Rd. had Green-winged Teal. Out of Edison and onto
Bayview-Edison Rd, a bush with House Finch, Common Raven and several Bald
Eagles by the large nest tree. A Northern Harrier was working the fields
south of the road. I stopped for a while at the East 90, no joy on
Short-eared Owl, but there were more House Finch. Scoping the field east of
the East 90 had a large group of ducks - lots of American Wigeon and at
least two Eurasian Wigeon, Mallards. More American Wigeon in the fields
along Samish Island Rd. At the West 90 there was a large flock (probably
1500) Snow Geese and a Rough-legged Hawk. Up to Samish Island and Wharf Rd -
Samish Bay yielded Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Surf Scoter, Red-breasted
Mergansesr, distant Brant, a Common Loon and a flock of at least 40
Long-tailed Duck.

 

As I headed south Bayview-Edison Rd. had a field with many American Wigeon,
Mallard, Northern Pintail, many Dunlin and another two Eurasian Wigeon. At
Sullivan Rd. a field just north had another 700 or so  Snow Geese. A quick
stop at Bayview State Park had a few Bufflehead,  probable Common Goldeneye
(dove too soon) and some very distant scaup (probably Greater??). March
Point - by now the wind had picked up and the rough water didn't allow i.d.
A small group of Barrow's Goldeneye, more Buffhlehead. After a lunch stop in
Anacortes I headed south to Whidbey Island. At Rosario Beach there was a
Black Oystercatcher, 6 Harlequin Duck, a Pelagic Cormorant, a Red-necked
Grebe, Bufflehead and a Chestnut-back Chickadee. At West Beach in Deception
State Park a flock of gulls were mostly Glaucous-winged with a Ring-billed
and Western and Iceland. The Deception Pass had several Red-throated Loons.
Along Ducken Rd and Troxell Rd to Alana Spit - a Barrow's Goldeneye. Down
into Oak Harbor and the marina - a scope look at the log boom showed a few
Black Turnstones and at least one Surfbird. 

 

Out to Swantown, the marsh had a March Wren singing, and a few Red-winged
Blackbirds. Bos Lake had Ruddy Duck, Northern Pintail, Pied-billed Grebe and
a Lesser Scaup. The Strait had more Bufflehead. Hastie Lake Rd. access and
Libby Beach were birdless. Down to Lake Crockett and the ferry terminal. The
old structure had its usual all three cormorants - Double-crested, Pelagic
and Brandt's. As I waited for the ferry at Clinton I saw a Horned Grebe.

 

At various spots along the trip I saw Canada Goose, Northern Shoveler,
Gadwall,, White-winged Scoter, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Anna's
Hummingbird, Great Blue Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Steller's Jay,
Black-capped Chickadee, European Starling, Spotted Towhee and Brewer's
Blackbird.

 

All in all a good day, finished under cloudy skies and 62 species for the
day.

 

Brian H. Bell

Woodinville WA

mail to b e l l asoc a t iso medi a d o t com

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