Mount Baker from Iverson Spit Preserve.

Common mergansers at Iverson Spit Preserve. Thought they were grebes at first. Very cute with their ducktails. There were some grebes there, but they were to far away to get a good picture.

Drove by where I saw the hawks in Stanwood again. Saw the one above. It hardly noticed me, it was so busy scanning for prey.

Corn field by where I’m staying. It is looking south towards Camano Island and Skagit Bay.

Finally found out what has been growing in the field outside my window: cucumbers! They are harvesting them in the pictures above. The top picture is looking west towards Whidbey Island.

Magnificent man in his flying machine. Don’t know if he was flying for pleasure or to check on farmland. I have seen several small private planes and helicopters fly low over farmland.

I’m getting ready to leave the area next week. Had hoped to stay to see the geese and swans start to arrive, but it’s best if I start south. I would like to revisit some places, like the San Diego Zoo and the sandhill cranes in New Mexico, and also see some new places, maybe Big Bend Park in Texas. I will try to return to this area early in 2009, while the migrating birds are still in the area.