Hi Tweeters, thought I'd add my list for the practice and the fun.
Remember, most of these are all firsts for me. On Feb. 13, checking several
local ponds in two areas and ones I was positive on: lots of Canadians,
mallards, coots, two bald eagles along the Interstate, American wigeons,
kestrels, red-brested merganser males, small flock Northern shovelers, a
hawk I have no idea what was. Saw only the front, face made me think of an
owl, very light color with tan, light brown markings over face and chest. 1
common merganser, gt. blue herons, hooded merganser pair, pintails, trumpter
swan, other assorted hawks, red-winged blackbirds, buffleheads, scaup
(couldn't tell which), 5 coromonts, a young turkey vulture and an otter.
(The otter was my favorite, I've never seen one in the "wild"). In my
backyard, 3 pair of wood ducks, two Canadians that come twice a year and
stay for a few weeks, assorted mallards, 4 pairs of wood ducks, pintails, a
red tailed hawk hunting, and two kestrels courting not more than 25 feet
outside my bedroom window. My husband made a nesting box last night, and we
put it up this morning. I'm keeping my fingers crossedXXX We made a fast
trip down to Vancouver Lake Saturday to see the tundra swans, egrets, heron
rookery and sandhill cranes. I was just stunned. I need better binoculars
or a spotting scope. Hubby wants a better camera:) Two nice surprises while
out roaming around were the two mute swans in a farm pond and two
black-shouldered peacocks with over five foot trains and all their girls.
Close by we had to wait for a flock of seven young peacocks to move out of
the road. :) See what that darn red throated loon started?

Mary Schlarbaum
Chehalis mary at localaccess.com