Things had gone so well with my photo expedition the day before that on February 15, 2019, I decided to try to add to my success.  I again started on March Point Road and found that the couple of hundred Dunlin I had seen the previous day were now down to a much lower level… maybe 20-30.  However the remaining Dunlin were much more approachable on this day and I took more photos.

I found this Golden-crowned sparrow rustling through the leaves.

I found this Dark-eyed junco.  There are several ‘races’ of this species and this one doesn’t appear to be the usual Oregon race that is common in Skagit County.  It would appear to be closer to the Slate-colored species (if you follow this blog you may remember seeing photos of the one we have in our yard).  However it does have a patch of chestnut in the middle of its back and I would guess that it’s probably a hybrid of a Slate-colored junco and one of the other races.  (That’s just an uneducated guess!)

I had lost much of my light after leaving the house so I prematurely ended my excursion.  But not before finding a pair of Northern Shovelers dabbling in the slough at the F&W Headquarter Tract.

If you need dabbling lessons let me know!