Two days of sun meant some biridng this weekend. A few highlights from
either side of the Columbia. In these areas, the shoulders of roads are
very hazardous and mushy. Be careful.

Vancouver Lake/Ridgefield Area--The herons continue to gather at their
heronry near Frenchman's Bar, though the eagles were a no show at their
nest. Tundra Swans continue to be seen in the flooded fields at
reasonably close range as do Canada Geese and Mew Gulls. Western Grebe
are still hunting in the farmfield just outside of town. Red-tails were
both courting and copulating.

Sauvie Island--Gillihan Loop Rd. is open and it's interesting to drive
around and see geese, cranes, swans, and ducks in areas where one doesn't
usually see them.

Scappoose Bottoms--Fast becoming my favorite bird-touring area. Was out
there both Saturday and Sunday.

First interesting note is that there are 2(!!) Black-shouldered Kites out ther.
The first was the bird
discovered by Jeff Gilligan and Owen Schmidt on the Sauvie CBC; this bird
is north of the junction of Johnson Landing Rd and Dike Rd. The bird is
often seen in blackberry bushes along the dike a good distance
north-northwest of the roads. I saw it Saturday but could not find it on
Sunday--this bird covers a wide hunting range in this area, and one swoop
behind the dikes and you can't see it. I've found it most times stopping
between the fenced parking lots on Dike Rd and scanning back in the
direction of the town of Scappoose. The second bird, the one I noted
last weekend, is northeast of the terminus of Dike Rd at Columbia AVe.
The bird is often along a fence line, very often perched in about a
twelve-foot deciduous tree near a large stand of blackberries. The bird
chased a red-tail out of the area Saturday, and was chased by a harrier
for prey on Sunday. It stays at binouclars/scope distance still.
Also noteworthy in the area were a Rough-legged Hawk at the
second kite spot Saturday, many harriers, the white-fronted goose flock
continues on Honeyman Rd north of the cotton wood farm, several eagles,
and many species of waterfowl. Horned grebes were at the flooded area at
the corner of COlumbia and Honeyman Rds. Saturday; Common Goldeneye had
replaced them on Sunday. Another SUnday highlight was a family group of
four unbanded trumpeter swans on Honeyman Rd. Got good looks in the
scope at these.

Murrayhill--Not much interetsing except for the mother trying to
tactfully explain to her kids what the four male mallards were doing to
the female mallard when they pointed this out to Mom on Saturday. They
giggled when she responded (thekids, not the drakes).

Washington Square--The Brewer's Blackbirds were in fine form, sitting
atop $30,000 vans, trying to displace each other of the highest van
perch. A peculiarity of the subspecies _mallus_.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ray Korpi "One could do worse than be a swinger of birches."
Hm: Portland, OR --from "Birches"
Wk: Clark College by Robert Frost
Vancouver, WA
rkorpi at clark.edu