President's page | Field notes | Field trips | Hiking | Calendar | Membership info | Contact us

MAY FIELD TRIPS


By Tim Manns


About the field trips
Beginning birders and their friends are always welcome on Skagit Audubon field trips—membership in Skagit Audubon is not required. Participants gladly help beginners identify and enjoy the birds. Always be prepared for the weather with suitable clothing, and bring field guides, binoculars, and spotting scopes. Please carpool and contribute to the driver’s expense. Watch the email reminders for the latest information, including any changes and/or additions to the field trip schedule. To be added to the email distribution list contact Tim Manns at bctm@fidalgo.net.


If you plan to join a field trip some place other than the described starting point, call the trip leader the day before to ensure a successful rendezvous. Trip plans may change.


Saturday, May 3
Northern State Recreation Area
7:30 a.m. to Noon

Join us as we visit this expansive and varied (as well as historic) location, with meadows, woodlands, and streams. We have a chance to see a variety of warblers, flycatchers, and vireos, some of which will have only just arrived here on migration. Meet in the parking lot of the Food Pavilion in Sedro-Woolley, near the junction of State Route 20 and Highway 9. Wear good walking shoes (waterproof ones in case we visit sedge meadows). Binoculars and spotting scopes will be helpful. Leader: Gary Bletsch, (360-826-3750).

Saturday, May 10
International Migratory Bird Day and the North American Migration Count
All day

Spring is here, and it’s time once again for International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD), a wonderful way to celebrate the incredible journeys made by migratory birds. Plan on participating in this annual event, part of the North American Migration Count (NAMC), and see how many bird species and individuals we can count in Skagit County in a single day.

Birders from all across North America will be participating on the same day, and you can do your part to help provide a snapshot of the spring migration. This year's theme is Tundra to Tropics: Connecting Birds, Habitats, and People. Coordinator: Gary Bletsch (360-826-3750)

Friday, May 16—Sunday, May 18
Spring Migration field trip to Okanogan County, Washington

Meet Kraig Kemper and Bob Kuntz at Conconully State Park for this 3-day birding experience to search for migrants returning to their breeding grounds. We will camp at Conconully State Park each night (http://www.parks.wa.gov/parkpage.asp?selectedpark=Conconully ). For those not wanting to camp, there are motels nearby (see under “Businesses” on http://www.conconully.com/ ).

Day trips from the campground will start each morning at 6:00 a.m., beginning on Friday, May 16. We should be back at the campground by 6:00 p.m. We plan to visit the Sinlahekin Valley, the Tonasket to Havillah to Chesaw area, and one other location (to be determined based on weather). Participation is limited to 18 people. No charge.

To sign up, please contact Bob Kuntz at 360-424-9099 or email robert_kuntz@nps.gov April 21 or later. If your plans change after signing up, please be sure to contact Bob so that he can make the space available to people on the waiting list.

Thursday, May 22
Marblemount to Newhalem along the Skagit River
7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

This field trip will visit the special birding spots from Marblemount up the Skagit River to Newhalem including the Marblemount boat launch vicinity, the County Line and Ag Ponds, and more. We’ll look for Ruffed and Sooty Grouse, Chipping and Lincoln Sparrows, Pileated Woodpeckers, a variety of Swallows, American Redstarts and other Neotropical migrants.

For carpooling, meet in the parking lot of Food Pavilion in Sedro-Woolley, near the junction of State Route 20 and Highway 9 at 7:30 a.m. At 8:15 a.m., we’ll meet Trip Leader Jim Alt at the boat launch across the Skagit River bridge in Marblemount (the bridge just off State Route 20 to the right where the highway turns sharply left). Bring scopes, lunch, and rain gear just in case. Leader: Jim Alt (360-873-4161)

Saturday, May 31
Cumberland Creek
7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

At Cumberland Creek, where the Skagit River traces a big peninsula across from Hamilton, Skagit Land Trust preserves 195 acres of floodplain forest. Stands of cottonwoods, alders and big-leaf maples intersperse with sloughs attracting a good variety of migratory and resident birds.

Meet in the Food Pavilion parking lot in Sedro-Woolley, near the junction of State Route 20 and Highway 9 at 7:30 a.m. We’ll carpool from there 13 miles up the South Skagit Highway. Bring binoculars and dress for walking through some brush and along sandy beach. Bring a lunch to eat by the river. Leaders: Jim Johnson (Skagit Land Trust steward for the Cumberland Creek property), Tim Manns (360-336-8753), and John Day (360-856-0644).

Samish Island Bird Walks with Howard Armstrong
As weather and time permit, Howard Armstrong leads bird walks on Samish Island for beginners and experts alike. To be contacted when these walks are scheduled, send a message to Howard (godwits@wavecable.com) asking to be added to his e-mail notification list.

FIELD TRIP REPORT: Marblemount, Rockport, and Vicinity April 10th

By Jim Alt and Marieke Slovin


The Thursday, April 10th field trip in the Upper Skagit began with questionable weather, albeit a propos for the area. Six birders, plus two guides, braved the spring showers and were rewarded with eventual sun and a nice mix of birds and mammals.

Marsh Wren


Beginning at Howard Miller Steelhead Park (HMSP), we had large flocks of Red Crossbills, Evening Grosbeaks, and Pine Siskins, and a very busy neighbor's feeder that kept us in the parking lot for at least 45 minutes. Walking along the old railroad grade at HMSP, we witnessed a Bald Eagle in its nest in the old-growth trees within Rockport State Park (which borders HMSP), as well as another eagle approaching overhead with nesting materials. Neotropical migrants were scarce, which may have been a result of the cool spring weather, but Rufous Hummingbirds, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and White-crowned Sparrows could be heard singing along the meadow portion of the trail. The sun made its appearance at Barnaby Slough, where we witnessed territorial disputes among Red-breasted Sapsuckers with a couple of Brown Creepers caught in the middle. There were a number of early arrivals to the Upper Skagit, including Common Yellowthroat and Osprey. A Marsh Wren finally cooperated and perched atop some cattails, and a rare sighting of a Common Loon in breeding plumage was a treat.

Oddly enough, we also witnessed, up close and personal, a bat (possibly a Little Brown) flying low over the slough in search of insects, as well as a pair of river otters, which seemed to be responding to our pishing calls more readily than the Marsh Wrens.

 

Habitats at Risk and their Signature Birds


Seattle Audubon has identified eleven habitats at risk that are critical to the survival of the birds and wildlife we care about. The signature bird species for these eleven habitats help us make the connection between the charismatic birds we see and their habitat needs.
If we do not protect, preserve and enhance signature bird habitat, we will lose the opportunity for future generations to enjoy interacting with birds and other wildlife.

High-quality Urban Greenspace:
Steller's Jay

Coastal and Puget Sound Shorelines:
Bald Eagle

Freshwater Wetlands and Marshes:
Great Blue Heron

Marine Waters:
Tufted Puffin

Western Washington Oak Grasslands:
Chipping Sparrow

Western Washington Old-growth Forests:
Varied Thrush

Eastern Washington Mature Conifer Forests:
Yellow-rumped Warbler

Eastern Washington Shrub-Steppe:
Loggerhead Shrike

Riparian (Riverside) Corridors:
Bullock’s Oriole

Arctic Tundra:
Snowy Owl

Tropical Hardwood Forests:
Western Tanager

For more information about these at-risk habitats and their signature birds, visit the Seattle Audubon site http://seattleaudubon.org/conservation.cfm?id=927

About Us | Site Map | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | ©2008 Skagit Audubon Society, P.O. Box 1101, Mount Vernon, WA 98273-1101