---------Didn't see the Gyrfalcon yesterday at Vancouver Lake, but
I may have seen it at Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge a week ago.Saw a large
falcon-like bird in a tree...at a distance, and since it was getting
dark, I could not accurately determine if it was a Gyrfalcon, or a
peregrine Falcon. And I didn'thave time to scope it, since I had to
leave before the gate
shut!!!!! Decided to go
past Vancouver Lake, up River Road to where it ends in the Ridgefield
Wildlife Refuge. The day was fantastically clear with Mt. Ranier, Mt.
Adams, Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Hood looming over the lake. Was a flock of
about 12 Horned Grebes, and 8 Double-crested Commorants out on the lake,
along with a Wesrern Grebe, and a few other ducks. A cold east
wind(temps. in the 30's) made the water a bit choppy. Saw a Coopers
Hawk, along with 2 soaring Bald Eagles. Purple Finches, Dark-eyed
Juncos, 2 Scrub Jays,a Black-capped Chickadee, Winter Wrens, and a
Flicker or jay sized bird, that I could not identify....because I
could'nt find it in my bird book!!!!! Oh, well....may have been a
Northern Flicker(*not* in the bird
book!!!!!!!) At the end of the road, In
Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge, on floded Postmaster Lake, and adjacent
water, was where 'it was all happening'!!! The lake area was Filled
with at least several hundred Tundra Swans, and a few dozen Trumpeter
Swans. Everywhere one looked there were 'blobs od white'!!! There were
also, in 3 or 4 independent groups, Snow Geese...both mature and
immature. They were spread out along the shore of the lake. I counted 95
Snow Geese, and I probably missed a few hidden strays!!!!! And Canada
Geese------thousands of them....they were *everywhere*!!!!!! And there
were 'zillions' of ducks of all kinds, with Pintails everywhere one
looked. The sight of such vast numbers of waterfowl, seen to the
background music of Swans and Geese was a sight to behold, to 'melt' the
cold east winds.Also sae No.Harrier Hawk, and Blue Herons. My guess was
the flooded fields of Sauvie Island(due to a broken dike) drove many of
these birds to the drier land on the Wash. side of the Columbia River in
search of food. Gerald
Hamilton Brush
Prairie, Wash.