Columbia Estuary Report - 2/2/97

Happy Ground Hog's Day

The Lower Columbia Birders spent Saturday morning at Brownsmead.
It was, for the most part, a pleasant, spring-like day with some showers
toward the end of the trip. There are plenty of TUNDRA SWANS in the
grassy islands from the Twightlight Sanctuary east to at least Aldrich
Point. BALD EAGLES were well represented with an obvious pair playing
snuggle bunnies at Karlsen Island and at least 6 other individuals.

The Ziak Refuge was full of ducks and CANADA GEESE. Two TRUMPETER
SWANS were noisily bobbing their heads worrying the resident pair of
TUNDRA SWANS and giving everyone a good lesson in sorting the two
species. The fields around Brownsmead are still flooded and most of the
expected duck species were seen. Surprisingly, the only shorebirds were
a single DUNLIN and a field full of KILLDEER.

Today, I found one of the LONG-TAILED DUCKS (!?) at the end of 6th street
in Astoria. At South Jetty of the Columbia River, 3 SNOWY OWLS were easily
visible from the observation tower. One was almost certainly the white
adult seen last week. The other two had fine white barring on their wing
coverts and back, but white heads (this matches the description of the
plumage type I have most consistantly encountered).



--
*********************************** I got the blues so bad one time
* Mike Patterson, Astoria, OR * it put my face in a permanent frown
* mpatters at orednet.org * but I am feelin' so much better
*http://www.pacifier.com/~mpatters* I could cake-walk into town