As several posters (is this an accepted term?) pointed out, the Ross' Gull
site has much to recommend it even without the gull. The Nature Area west
of the dam on the OR side has ponds full of ducks--the most Wood Ducks I've
seen anywhere in the NW--and roosting night-herons (I didn't even realize
they wintered in the Columbia Basin). It also has lots of trees and shrubs
that were full, on Thursday, of passerines, including large numbers of
robins that we scrutinized at length for Dusky Thrushes and found that
getting to see the robin variation itself repaid the scrutiny, also Cedar
Waxwings (looked much for Bohemians with no luck), Evening Grosbeaks,
goldfinches, White-crowned and Song sparrows, juncos, Yellow-rumped
Warblers, and flickers (including a yellow-shafted, red-mustachioed bird).
The light was great Thursday for photography, including photogenic magpies,
robins, night-herons, and Wood Ducks overhead. Is anyone surprised that I
had just run out of film when the Ross' Gull made a surprise appearance
right in front of me, my closest look? Frustration mixed with joy. As has
been mentioned, there are a few loons and a lot of ducks on the river,
including the largest flocks of Common Goldeneyes I've seen, with a few
Barrow's gemixt. We saw 2 adult and one first-year Western Gull, a
surprising number for that far inland, and several Western x
Glaucous-winged hybrids. I was very surprised not to see any Herring or
Thayer's, however. Also, 2-3 Sharp-shinned Hawks hunted the area (so there
are probably fewer small passerines now). Plan for enough time for the
nonrossgull birds too.

You can also reach the river directly south of Patterson on the WA side,
where we saw 3 Bald Eagles and a fair variety of water birds.

Dennis Paulson phone: (206) 756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416