Oct 23, 2011 Fall Birding Trip with Pam Pritzl and Roxie Rochat

Unlike the fierce storm for our April trip, we enjoyed calm winds and magnificent fall weather for our fall birding adventure. Harbor seals basked on the sand bar at English Boom and a Peregrine Falcon posed on a snag so all eleven participants could get long looks through the scopes.  We enjoyed "water dances" of grebes and "braces" of Surf Scoters (according to whatbird.com) along Skagit Bay at Utsalady and Maple Grove boat ramp parks.  Two small football-shaped Marbled Murrelets provided a lot of excitement at Maple Grove.  Passerines were quite active at Iverson park, where we especially enjoyed an "ear-full" or a "museum" of Cedar Waxwings, and a "reign" of Golden-crowned Sparrows.  Birds that were heard or seen include:

Red-necked Grebe, Horned Grebe, Western Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Canada Goose, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, Surf Scoter, Common Merganser, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Killdeer, Glaucous-winged Gull, Bonaparte's Gull, Pigeon Guillemot, Marbled Murrelet, Common Loon, Rock Dove, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, American Crow, Common Raven, Cedar Waxwing, American Robin, Bewick's Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Black-capped Chickadee, House Sparrow, House Finch, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Spotted Towhee, Brewer's Blackbird (at the airport).

Roxie went back to Iverson in the afternoon to work out a few mystery birds and decided the black and white flying ducks were Long-tailed Ducks.  A Red-throated Loon, Purple Finch, White-crowned Sparrows, and a Marsh Wren were additional sightings there.   Although the Wild Turkeys did not cooperate during the morning trip, 10 were strung out across Hanstad Road and 6 more were in the grove of trees near highway 532 around 5:20 pm.

How to Build a Rain Barrel by Scott Chase, BWH program Wed., June 16, 2010

Here are the YouTube videos of Scott Chase's presentation on building your own rain barrel.  Parts for the Skagit PUD's rain barrel instructions can be purchased at the Country Store or Ace Hardware on Riverside in Mt. Vernon.

April 25, 2010 Spring Birding Tour with Pam Pritzl and Roxie Rochat

Twenty-two birders turned out to greet our resident breeders and latest spring migrants including the Purple Martins at English Boom who apparently arrived just the night before.  Highlights of our visits to English Boom and Iverson Beach Preserve included a Killdeer defending its territory, two Eagle nests, displaying Wild Turkeys, aerial acrobatics by a Cooper's Hawk, a large flock of Western Sandpipers and Dunlin, up-close-and-personal Orange-crowned and Yellow-rumped Warblers in their finest breeding plumage, five species of sparrows including a Savannah that posed especially nicely, magnificently brilliant yellow American Goldfinches, and both male and female Red-winged Blackbirds.  The female Red-winged Blackbird often poses an id challenge because it looks more like a large striped sparrow than its male counterpart, but this one gave us a great opportunity to study its distinctly un-sparrow-like bill.  Birds that were heard or seen include:

Mallard, Northern Pintail, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Scaup species (probably Greater), Bufflehead, Wild Turkey, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Western Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Cooper’s Hawk, Killdeer, Western Sandpiper, Dunlin, Glaucous-winged Gull, Mourning Dove, Rufous Hummingbird, American Crow, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch (heard only), Bewick’s Wren (heard only), Winter Wren (heard only), American Robin, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, House Finch, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch

Oct 31, 2009 Backyard Habitat Field Trip led by Pam Pritzl

Nine birders (including two who drove up from Seattle) joined Pam on a tour of the wetlands under the Mark Clark bridge, English Boom Historical Park shoreline, and Iverson Beach Preserve.  The forecasted high winds didn't materialize and the rain held off until the end of the trip, so we had perfect birding weather.  We were treated to a group of chattering Long-billed Dowitchers, Wild Turkeys along Hanstad Rd, flocks of Snow Geese, a Virginia Rail, and a nice variety of woodland birds.  Here is the list:

Horned Grebe, Western Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Snow Goose, Mallard, Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Bufflehead, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Wild Turkey, Virginia Rail (heard), Dunlin, Long-billed Dowitcher, Ring-billed Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Mourning Dove, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, American Crow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee (heard), Golden-crowned Kinglet (heard), American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, Spotted Towhee, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco (heard), Brewer’s Blackbird, Purple Finch, House Finch