FIELD SIGHTINGS – 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 birdsightings@skagitaudubon.org. For recent updates on bird sightings, check out ABA Tweeters and Skagit County Ebird List on the SAS website (Birding menu, Bird Sightings submenu).

WATERFOWL

• Snow Goose 1 “blue morph” at Bayview Edison Rd on 3-18 (YH); 10,000 flying over Bay View property on 4-11 (LM); 100’s seen from the West 90, Samish Island on 4-14 (AW)
• Tundra Swan 16 at FIFR on 3-31 (NOH); 29 at Jensen Access on 4-13 (GB)
• Wood Duck 9 at Cranberry Lake, ACFL on 3-27 (NOH); 6 at SWAWS on 3-31 (YH)
• Cinnamon Teal 2 at NSRA on 4-7 (GB); 3 at Green Road Marsh, Burlington on 4-13 (TRM)
• Eurasian Wigeon 1 at FIFR on 3-31 (NOH); 1 at FIFR on 4-13 (GB)
• Green-winged Teal 1”Eurasian” at Padilla Bay on 3-18 (YH)
• Greater Scaup 37 at Padilla Bay on 4-2 (YH)
• Barrow's Goldeneye 1 at Barnaby Slough on 3-29 (GB); 2 at Guemes Channel on 4-2 (NOH)
• Common Merganser 24 in Swinomish Channel on 3-18 (YH)

GREBES

• Red-necked Grebe 1 at SHIP on 3-22 (NOH)

PIGEONS and DOVES

• Band-tailed Pigeon 4 in Mount Vernon yard on 3-22 (DH)

HUMMINGBIRDS

• Rufous Hummingbird 1 on 3-25 & 2 on 3-29 at SHIP (NOH); 1 on 3-31 & 1 on 4-7 at SWAWS (NOH); 1 at CAMA Beach State Park on 4-14 (AlW) 

RAILS and COOTS

• Virginia Rail 1 on Bay View property on 4-11 (LM)
• Sora 1 at NSRA on 4-7 (GB)

CRANES

• Sandhill Crane 2 over Lincoln Hill, Mt. Vernon on 3-27 (TRM)

SANDPIPERS and ALLIES

• Sanderling 10 at March Point on 4-5 (GB); 6 at March Point on 4-6 (YH)
• Dunlin 1000’s at FIFR on 3-27 (AT)
• Long-billed Dowitcher 4 at SWAWS on 4-5 (GB)
• Wilson's Snipe 11 at Guemes Valley on 4-2 (TRM)
• Lesser Yellowlegs 1 at SWAWS on 4-13 (GB)

ALCIDS

• Rhinoceros Auklet 10 off Guemes Island, Eden’s Rd on 4-2 (TRM)

GULLS and TERNS

• California Gull 1 at Minkler Flats on 3-15 (GB)
• Caspian Tern 2 at Bay View State Park on 4-2 (PP); 1 at SWANFA on 4-13 (GB)

LOONS 

• Common Loon 1 at SHIP on 3-22 & 3-25 (NOH)

HERONS and ALLIES

• American Bittern 1 in Hamilton on 3-29 (GB)

 VULTURES

• Turkey Vulture 1 flew over east Fidalgo property on 4-6 (RW)

OSPREYS

• Osprey 1 east of Rockport on 3-29 (GB)

HAWKS, EAGLES and ALLIES

• Cooper's Hawk 1 at Hillcrest Park. Mt. Vernon throughout sighting period (TRM); 1 male at east Fidalgo property on 4-10 (RW)
• Red-tailed Hawk 1 “wing-tagged E-3” near Padilla Center on 4-11 (AW)
• Rough-legged Hawk 1 light morph at Farm to Market/D’arcy & 1 light morph & 1 dark morph on Bayview Edison Rd near T, Samish Flats on 3-29 (AW); 1 light morph & 1 dark morph soaring near the Skagit Airport & 1 dark morph at Farm to Market/D’arcy, Samish Flats on 4-7 (AW); 1 on Peterson Rd (near Skagit Airport) 4-14 (AW)

OWLS

• Great Horned Owl 1 at Hillcrest Park, Mt. Vernon on 3-29 (TRM)
• Short-eared Owl 1 FIFR 3-22 (GB)

WOODPECKERS

• Red-breasted Sapsucker 1 east Fidalgo property on 3-15 (RW) 
• Pileated Woodpecker 2 at Cranberry Lake, ACFL 3-27 (NOH); 1 male daily at east Fidalgo property 3-18 to present (RW)   

FALCONS

• American Kestrel 1 male on LaConner/Whitney Rd on 4-11 (AW); nesting pair on Peterson Rd near Skagit Airport on 4-14 (AW)
• Peregrine Falcon 1 adult on Sullivan Rd, Samish Flats on 4-7 (AW); 1 juvenile at Field/Farm to Market Rd, Samish Flats on 4-14 (AW)

FLYCATCHERS

• Black Phoebe 1 at SWAWS on 3-18 (NOH); 1 at SWAWS on 3-31 (YH)
• Say's Phoebe 1 at Bryson Rd on 4-9 (GB)

VIREOS

• Hutton's Vireo 1 at Hillcrest Park, Mt. Vernon throughout sighting period (TRM); 1 at east Fidalgo property on 3-26 (RW)
• Horned Lark

SWALLOWS

• Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2 in Hamilton on 3-30 (GB)

THRUSHES

• Western Bluebird 2 at Bryson Rd on 4-9 (GB)
• Mountain Bluebird 2 at Bryson Rd on 4-9 (GB)
• Townsend's Solitaire 8 at Kinley Lane, Concrete on 4-9 (GB); 1 on Bayview Edison Rd near Padilla Center on 4-11 (AW); 1 on Bay View property on 4-10  4-11 (LM); 1 at Secret Harbor, Cypress Island on 4-13 (TRM)
• Hermit Thrush 1 at Marblemount Boat Launch on 4-6 (GB); 1 at east Fidalgo property on 4-13 (RW)
• Varied Thrush 1 at Cranberry Lake, ACFL on 3-27 (NOH)

SPARROWS and ALLIES

• American Tree Sparrow 1 at FIFR on 3-22 (GB)
• Chipping Sparrow 1 at Ovenell’s Heritage Inn on 4-9 (GB)
• Savannah Sparrow 6 at Samish Flats on 4-2 (YH)

WARBLERS

• Common Yellowthroat 1 at Guemes Valley on 4-2 (TRM); 1 at Hunn Field on 4-6 (GB); 2 on Bay View property on 4-11 (LM)
• Yellow-rumped Warbler 2 at SHIP on 3-16 & 1 at SHIP on 3-25 (NOH); 2 at Camano Island yard week of 3-27 (PP); 1 at SWAWS on 4-7 (NOH); 2 “Audubon’s” at CAMA Beach State Park 4-14 (AlW)
• Townsend's Warbler heard at east Fidalgo property on 3-25 (RW)

MAMMALS

• Northern Elephant Seal 1 at Padilla Bay on 3-25 (YH)

(ACFL) Anacortes Community Forest Lands; (GB) Gary Bletsch; (FIFR) Fir Island Farm Reserve aka Hayton Reserve; (DH) Di Hoffman; (YH)Yvonne Houppermans; (NSRA) Northern State Recreation Area); (TRM) Tim Manns; (LM) Libby Mills; (NOH); Neil O’Hara; (PP) Pam Pritzl;; (SHIP) Ship Harbor Interpretive Preserve; (SWANFA) Skagit Wildlife Area North Fork Access; (SWAWS) Skagit Wildlife Area Wylie Slough; (AT) Alice Turner; (AlW) Allison Warner; (AW) Andrea Warner; (RW) Regan Weeks