[Tweeters] Channel Drive (near LaConner) (Gary Bletsch via Tweeters)

[Jim Betz via Tweeters]

Mark Walton,

   The tide at Channel Drive is "approximately one hour behind the tide 
at Hayton".  I use

the tides for La Conner and they are useful.  Recently the tide change 
in the day time

has been quite small from high to low with relatively high numbers for 
the lows - this

is probably why you "seem to be missing".  This aspect of the tides 
changes with the

relative position of the sun -and- moon with the largest changes being 
when the sun

and moon are on the same side of the Earth at the same time.  If this 
helps, the moon

phases change "about 50 minutes per day" with each successive day being 
50 minutes

or so later than the previous day.


   In my experience Channel Drive is best with low water of at least +1 
foot ... or less.  But even

with higher water the levels behind the gate can be useful (low enough 
the shorebirds are

there).

   Some days the shorebirds come and go at Channel Drive for a short 
amount of time -

other days they can be there for several hours ... lower water almost 
always produces

more birds for longer duration.

   I have not seen any correlation between the tide levels and 
non-shorebirds (any where).

And, of course, for non-shorebirds the hours between about noon and 4pm 
are the

least birdy.

                                                     - Jim