Fir Island 11-19-2018

[Bill Anderson]

My son and I returned to Fir Island Monday afternoon (11-19-18). First stop was Wylie Slough. The tide was coming in and a small flock of yellowlegs flying northeast did not give me hope of seeing many shorebirds.

Several herons were present. They proved to be very photogenic as I could get much closer to them than I can at the Edmonds marsh.

Several eagles were in the area including this one which landed in a tree above the pheasant farm. The pheasant coops are all covered, so no easy lunch for him or her.

Swans were in the field across one of the sloughs.

 

[Bill Anderson]

A small flock of coots was in the slough. I could only get a shot of one from the walkway.

Two more photogenic herons were on the way back to the parking lot.

I thought this was just another flock of geese passing overhead when I took the photos, but some birders with good binoculars pointed out that they were sandhill cranes.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Next stop was the area birders simply refer to as "Hayton." More shorebirds were present than at Wylie Slough.

 

[Bill Anderson]

More shorebirds and ducks.

 

[Bill Anderson]

At least three female northern harriers were present and put on a good show.

I did not see any short-eared owls.

 

[Bill Anderson]

There is a tree on by the road leading to the parking lot that has an eagle nest in it. It appears to be the local hangout for raptors as I saw a juvie bald eagle, a red-tailed hawk, an adult bald eagle, and a peregrine falcon perched in it at various times.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Late in the afternoon a large flock of snow geese took off towards the east. I think I later located them bedded down in a field just off the old highway into Stanwood.

 

[Valerie Matthews]

Awesome!