by Pam Pritzl
This column reports submitted sightings. Any rare sightings should be accompanied by detailed written documentation and if possible a photograph. A second person to verify rare sightings is extremely helpful. Do not hesitate to call any observer to help document unusual sightings. Also do not hesitate to call if you need clarification on locations.
Please submit your sightings to Pam Pritzl birdsightings@skagitaudubon.org or 360-387-7024.
Here is the ABA Tweeters : WEB Site
Ebird for Skagit County : Ebird List
To download the Audubon Bird Guide, go to: www.audubon.org/apps
WATERFOWL
Snow Goose 50+ on Samish Island on 5-10 (RWJ) late
Ross’s Goose 2 at Samish East 90 on 5-8 (GB)
Tundra Swan 1 at SWAHR on 5-10 (GB)
Wood Duck 2 at SWAWS on 5-8 (JS); 2 in AFCL, Cranberry Lake on 5-11 (YH)
Common Goldeneye 1 at SHIP on 4-13 & 5-7 (NOH)
Hooded Merganser 2 at SHIP on 4-23 (NOH)
Red-breasted Merganser 1 at SHIP on 4-13, 4-18 & 4-20 (NOH)
GREBES
Horned Grebe 1 at SHIP on 4-13 (NOH)
Red-necked Grebe 1 to 4 at SHIP from 4-13 to 5-4 (NOH)
HUMMINGBIRDS
Rufous Hummingbird 3 to 4 at SHIP from 4-13 to 5-9 (NOH); 1 in Anacortes yard on 4-30 (JH)
RAILS and COOTS
Virginia Rail 1 at SHIP on 4-16, 4-20, 4-30 & 5-7; 3 on 5-9 (NOH)
STILTS and AVOCETS
American Avocet 8 at Eide Road on 5-2 (MS/JS); 8 at Eide Road on 5-5 (PP) unusual
Black-necked Stilt 2 at Big Indian Slough on 5-9 (GB) RARE
OYSTERCATCHERS
Black Oystercatcher 2 at SHIP on 4-13 & 4-30 (NOH; 2 at Bowman Bay on 5-7 (RWJ))
PLOVERS
Semipalmated Plover 2 at March Point on 4-19 (GB); 4 at Eide Rd on 5-2 (JS/MS)
Killdeer 1 at SHIP on 4-26 & 5-4 (NOH)
SANDPIPERS and ALLIES
Whimbrel 120 on Rekdal Rd., Camano Island on 4-24 (PP); 200 on Rekdal Rd., Camano Island on 5-3 (MS/JS); 24 on Butler Flats on 5-8 (GB)
Marbled Godwit 4 at March Point on 4-19 (GB)
Least Sandpiper 2 at SHIP on 4-20 (NOH)
Western Sandpiper 1 at SHIP on 4-20 (NOH)
Long-billed Dowitcher 14 at SWAWS on 5-10 (MS/JS)
Solitary Sandpiper 1 on Butler Flats on 4-27 (GB)
Wilson's Phalarope 2 at Samish East 90 on 5-8 (GB)
ALCIDS
Rhinoceros Auklet 2 at Washington Park, Anacortes on 4-29 (YH)
GULLS and TERNS
Caspian Tern 2 at SHIP on 4-28 (NOH)
LOONS
Common Loon 1 at SHIP on 4-13, 4-16, 4-18, 4-23 & 4-28; 2 on 4-26 (NOH); 2 flying over (yodeling) east Fidalgo yard on 5-11 (RW)
PELICANS
American White Pelican 9 at March Point on 5-6 (GB); 8 at Iverson Spit, Camano Island on 5-8 (PP); 9 at March Point on 5-9 (RWJ)
IBIS
White-faced Ibis 5 at SWAWS on 5-10 (GB) RARE
OSPREYS
Osprey 1 to 3 at SHIP from 4-13 to 5-9 (NOH)
HAWKS, EAGLES and ALLIES
Bald Eagle 1 at SHIP on 4-16, 4-26, 4-28 & 5-4; 2 on 4-30 (NOH)
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 at SHIP on 5-9 (NOH)
Broad-winged Hawk 1 near Cockreham Island on 5-7 (GB) RARE
OWLS
Great Horned Owl 1 at Barney Lake on 4-24 (TM); 2 at SWAWS on 5-10 (MS/JS); 1 at SWAWS on 5-12 (RWJ)
Northern Saw-whet Owl 1 NEAR Cockreham Island on 4-27 (GB)
KINGFISHER
Belted Kingfisher 1 at SHIP on 4-13, 4-16, 4-18, & 4-20 (NOH); 2 in AFCL, Cranberry Lake on 5-11 (YH)
WOODPECKERS
Red-breasted Sapsucker 1-3 seen daily at east Stanwood home throughout sighting period (MS/JS)
Downy Woodpecker 1 at SHIP on 4-16, 4-20, 5-1 & 5-9 (NOH); pair creating a nest hole at SWAWS on 5-12 (RWJ)
Hairy Woodpecker 1 female at WA Park, Anacortes on 5-9 (RWJ)
Northern Flicker 2 at Anacortes yard on 4-21 (YH); 1 at Rosario on 5-12 (YH)
FALCONS
American Kestrel 1 at SHIP on 4-18 (NOH)
FLYCATCHERS
Olive-sided Flycatcher 1 at east Fidalgo yard on 4-30 (RW)
Western Wood-Pewee 1 at east Fidalgo yard on 5-5 (RW)
Hammond's Flycatcher 1 calling at east Fidalgo yard on 4-21 (RW)
Gray Flycatcher 1 at south Cascade Rd on 5-1 (GB) Unusual
Dusky Flycatcher 1 at Bacon Creek on 4-26 (GB)
Pacific-slope Flycatcher 1 in Anacortes yard on 4-29 (JH); 1 at SHIP on 5-4 (NOH); 2 at east Fidalgo yard on 5-5 (RW)
Black Phoebe 2 at SWAWS on 5-12 (RWJ)
Western Kingbird 1 at Martin Rd. on 4-30 (GB)
SHRIKES
Northern Shrike 1 near Cockreham Island, remaining late, on 5-5 (GB)
VIREOS
Cassin's Vireo 1 at Bacon Creek on 4-26 (GB)
Warbling Vireo 2 at Camano Island yard on 5-2 (PP); 1 at east Fidalgo yard on 5-4 (RW); 1 at SHIP on 5-7 (NOH)
SWALLOWS
Purple Martin 3 to25 at SHIP from 4-16 to 5-9 (NOH); 1 flying over east Fidalgo yard on 5-5 (RW)
Tree Swallow 6 at Bowman Bay on 5-7 (RWJ); 4 at SWAWS on 5-12 (RWJ)
Bank Swallow 2 near Cockreham Island on 5-6 (GB)
BUSHTITS
Bushtit 3 at SHIP on 4-13; 2 on 4-18 & 4-26; 1 on 4-30 (NOH)
NUTHATCHES
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 in Anacortes yard on 4-23 (YH)
WRENS
Marsh Wren 4 at SWAHR on 5-8 (JS)
Bewick's Wren 2 seen daily at east Stanwood home throughout sighting period (MS/JS); 1 at SHIP on 4-18; 4-20, 4-23 & 5-7 (NOH)
KINGLETS
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2 at SHIP on 4-18; 1 on 4-23 (NOH); 1 in Anacortes yard on 4-23 (YH); 1 in Anacortes yard on 4-30 (JH)
THRUSHES
Western Bluebird 1 at Corkindale on 4-22, 4-26 & 5-4 (GB)
Swainson's Thrush 1 singing at east Fidalgo on 5-11 (RW)
WAXWINGS
Cedar Waxwing 1 on Fir Island on 5-11 (JBS)
FINCHES and ALLIES
Pine Siskin 1 at SHIP on 4-13, 4-20 & 4-23; 4-26 & 5-7; 3 on 4-18 (NOH); 3 in Anacortes yard on 4-28 (YH)
SPARROWS and ALLIES
Vesper Sparrow 1 at Corkindale on 4-26 (GB)
Savannah Sparrow 2 at SHIP on 4-26; 1 on 4-30 (NOH); 1 on Fir Island on 5-11 (JBS)
White-throated Sparrow 2 at Camano Island yard on 5-2 & 3 (PP)
BLACKBIRDS and ORIOLES
Yellow-headed Blackbird 1 on Minkler Flats on 4-19 (GB); 1 near Dewey Beach, Fidalgo Island on 5-8 (AP)
Brown-headed Cowbird 4 at SHIP on 4-20 & 5-4; 3 on 4-26 & 4-30; 1 on 4-16 & 4-23 (NOH); 2 in Anacortes yard 4-20 to 5-5 (YH)
WARBLERS
Orange-crowned Warbler 1 to 3 at SHIP from 4-13 to 5-9 (NOH); 1 in Anacortes yard on from 4-29 to 5-5 (YH); 1 in Anacortes yard on 4-29 & 4 on 4-30 (JH)
Common Yellowthroat 1 at SHIP on 4-30 (NOH)
Yellow Warbler 2 at SHIP on 4-30; 1 on 5-4, 5-7 & 5-9 (NOH); 2 in Anacortes yard on 5-13 (YH)
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1 at SHIP on 4-13 & 5-4; 2 on 4-23 (NOH); 2 “Myrtle” at Barney Lake on 4-24 (TM); 4 “Audubon’s” at Barney Lake on 4-24 (TM); 2 female “Audubon’s”, 1 male “Audubon’s”, 1 male “Myrtle” at east Fidalgo yard on 4-26 (RW); 1 in Padilla Bay area on 4-28 (KR); 1 female “Myrtle” in Anacortes yard on 4-29 & 2 male “Audubon’s” on 4-30 (JH); several in Bow/Blanchard area on 5-7 (KR)
Black-throated Gray Warbler 1 in Anacortes yard on 4-30 (JH); 1 at Camano Island yard on 5-1 (SRP)
Townsend's Warbler 1 heard in east Fidalgo yard on 4-26 (RW); 1 at Anacortes yard on 4-30 (JH); 1 male in east Fidalgo yard on 4-30 (RW); 1 male at Camano Island yard on 5-2 (PP)
Wilson's Warbler 1 in Hillcrest Park, Mt. Vernon on 4-24 (TM); 1 male at east Fidalgo yard on 4-26 (RW); 1 in Padilla Bay area on 4-28 (KR); 1 in Anacortes yard on 4-29 & 1 male on 4-30 (JH); 2 at SHIP on 4-30 & 5-7; 1 on 5-4 (NOH); 1 in Anacortes yard on 5-13 (YH)
TANAGERS and ALLIES
Western Tanager 1 in Padilla Bay area on 4-28 (KR); 1 in Anacortes yard on 4-30 (JH); 1 at east Fidalgo yard on 5-1 (RW); 5 males on suet (at one time) at east Fidalgo yard on 5-4 (RW); several in Bow/Blanchard area on 5-7 (KR)
Black-headed Grosbeak 1 in Anacortes yard on 4-30 (JH); 1 at SHIP on 5-4, 5-7 & 5-9 (NOH); 2 males at SWAWS on 5-12 (RWJ)
Evening Grosbeak 10 at Barney Lake on 4-24 (TM); 30+ on Lincoln Hill, Mt. Vernon after 5-5 (TM); 12 at east Stanwood home on 5-14 (MS/JS)
MAMMALS
River Otter 2 at Bowman Bay on 5-7 (RWJ)
Harbor Seal 2 at Bowman Bay on 5-7 (RWJ)
Muskrat 2 at WSAWS on 5-10 (JS)
(AFCL) Anacortes Community Forest Lands; (GB) Gary Bletsch; (JH) Joe Halton; (NOH); Neil O’Hara; (YH) Yvonne Houppermans; (RWJ) Rosi & Wes Jansen; (TM) Tim Manns; (AP) Anne Peeples; (SRP) Sheila and Ron Pera; (PP) Pam Pritzl; (KR) Kerry Rye; (SHIP) Ship Harbor Interpretive Preserve; (JS) Jeff Sinker; (MS) Mary Sinker; (JBS) JB Smith; (SWAHR) Skagit Wildlife Area Hayton Reserve; (SWAWS) Skagit Wildlife Area Wylie Slough; (RW) Regan Weeks