Jim P. Flynn wrote:
>
> Hi Bruce,
>
> I led a field trip for Rainier Audubon last weekend to
> Ridgefield Refuge and Vancouver Lake. We only saw 2 pairs of
> cranes at Ridgefield (River S unit, around mid-day) but saw a
> lot of cranes in the Vancouver Lake area. I'd reccomend Vanc.
> lake over Sauvie Island if your time is limited as it's ever
> so slightly closer to Seattle and just a short ways off of I-5.
> Most of the birds were in a field across the street from Vancouver
> Lake Park and in the fields along Lower River Rd.
> We met a man from Longview when we were at Ridgefield
> who said that the cranes were easier to see at Ridgefield around
> morning and evening hours. Does anyone on Tweeters know anything
> about their daily movements in the Sauvie/Ridgefield area?
>
> thanks,
>
> Jim Flynn
> Renton, WA
> bf519 at scn.org
-------------------------

...........Amounts of Sandhills at RNWR River "S" unit can fluctuate.
Sometimes I see next to none present at the area, and other times i
visit I see large flocks everwhere. Many Cranes feed in the farmer's
fields on Bachelor Island, which is refuge land that is off limits to
us.(One can view some of the area for Cranes by walking to the top of
the dike, and viewing from the pump station platform}. They can
frequently be seen flying in large flocks back and forth from the
island.
..........Oak Bottoms Road on Sauvies Island is an excellent area for
viewing cranes. Also........ drive up the road on the east side of the
island. This road goes past Oreg. State Wildlife Refuge land, and goes
way north past the nude swimming beaches, and ends almost at the
northern tip of island in Oreg. Wildlife refuge land.(the road is
graded gravel at this point)> Towards the north end of this road on the
refuge land on your left as you go north, are large open areas where
many, many cranes feast. One can hear them. Binoculars are most
helpful............However, since Wash,. travelers have to travel south
through Portland and then north again on U.S.30 to the entrance bridge
to the island, it would probably be easier to cross the Columbia at the
bridge at Longview, and proceed south on U.S. 30 to the entrance(south
of Ranier, Oreg.) However, as you say, it would be a lot easier to turn
right at 289th exit ramp and head west towards Ridgfield from I-5.
........... Cranes, Swans, and Geese tend to move most in the hour
before dark. If you are lucky at this time of the year, you will see
flocks of all three species fly westwards overhead in a beautiful
symphony of bird music. Late afternoon is my favorite time because of
the sometimes massive movements of these large birds. Also hawks and
other rapters seem more active at this tine of day.

Gerald Hamilton
Brush Prairie, Wash.
gerald at e-z.net