North Fork Stillaguamish River Field Trip (6/21/03) Highlights

We birded for over two hours in the morning rain, but still had good birding. The best highlight was seeing a female Harlequin Duck with six babies. We watched up to 12 Rufous Hummingbirds vying for spots at feeders. At another feeder we saw many Black-headed Grosbeaks and a Purple Finch. We had good views of American Dippers on the river and many Vaux's Swifts flying overhead.

After lunch indoors, it was still raining and the occupants of two cars decided to head back home. Too bad, because the rest of us enjoyed birding for another two hours as the rain stopped and the sun came out.

We watched Swainson's Thrushes, American Dippers and Spotted Sandpipers foraging among the rocks on the river shoreline. We were surprised to see two dippers fly up to a low branch over the river. We also saw a Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Belted Kingfisher, Hairy Woodpecker and more Red-breasted Sapsuckers.  There were 18 birders and 40 species sighted.