[Tweeters] Skagit Area "Survey"

[via Tweeters]

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