[Tweeters] Skagit "Survey" (State of the County)

[via Tweeters]

  Hi,

  I did a -very- informal birding-while-driving trip to many of my  
favorite locations on
Thursday - with one long stop and hike at Rosario.  I left the house  
about 10:30 and
got back about 4.  Here are the results:

  1) Lots of Trumpeter Swans - everywhere, in both large (near I-5 and  
Cook Rd) and
      small groups (in the fields out on the Samish Flats).   
Especially in the Samish 
      Flats and Butler Flats but also in the Skagit Flats and on Fir Island.
  2) Lots of Bald Eagles - mostly roosting in trees or on poles  
(digesting?)  If there is a
      tree with a nest in it ... there usually is a pair (or one of a  
pair?) in the vicinity.  I
      have not seen "sitting on eggs" behaviors ... yet.
  3) Lots of Red-tailed hawks ... again everywhere.  I am not seeing  
many other
      hawks/falcons such as Rough-legged, Merlin, etc. - but others  
are reporting
      them so this is probably a result of my methods.  There seem to  
be at least as
      many and perhaps more Kestrels.
  4) A "normal" amount of all the usual suspects of ducks - anywhere  
there is standing
      water and often in unflooded fields (especially Mallards).
  5) Very few "shore birds" - even at Channel Drive.
  6) A few but not lots of passerines.  But pretty much anywhere there  
is a bush.
  7) The SEOWs continue to delight at the East 90.  As well as  
Harriers (there and
       many other locations).
  8) Of note, at least to me, was zero Snow Geese.
  9) Rosario was pretty normal for this time of year - which means it  
is a consistent
      good spot for birding year round.  I did see a couple of Robins  
and several
      mergansers.  I spent almost 2 hours at Rosario.  Cormorants,  
gulls, Harlequins,
      Sparrows, Juncos, scoters, etc.  Did not see an otter this  
time.  Did hear a Bald
      Eagle calling several times but never found it.
10) A 'nice find' was no less than 3 Belted Kingfishers ... at 3  
different locations.
      (Samish Island Rd., Rosario, and Channel Drive)

                     - that's it for now ... see you again in March -  
Jim in Skagit

P.S. Sorry, I did not get to Ship or further up river than  
Burlington/Mt. Vernon.
 
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