---------Decided to visit the Vancouver Lake area last Sunday....under
only cloudy skies. But.....by the time I arrived there these cloudy
skies turned into a persistant heavy drizzle, and light rain. Obviously
, my plans of doing good hiking around turned into more of a
car-tour!!!!!However birding was good.
---------There were a fair amount of ducks on Shillapoo Lake, but the
gravel road leading there, like the surrounding fields, was flooded, and
under water.So.....what was swimming on the lake had to be left up to my
immagination!!!!!!!!
---------Around Vancouver Lake itself:
Lesser Scaup
a few Greater Scaup with them
Double-crested Cormorants(there were 8 sighted on one tree alone!!!)
Belted Kingfisher
Golden-crowned Sparrows(quite abundant in Vanc. Lake Park itself)
Dark-eyed Juncos
Roufous-sided Towhee
Mallards(everywhere!!!!)
Robins
Starlings
a few wren type birds.
Scrub Jays

-----------Heading north up Lower River Road:
Hundreds of Sandhill Cranes(with about 31/2 dozen Tundra Swans grazing
with the Cranes ) in the fields west of the road, just south of
Frenchman's Bar County Park..Many more Cranes just east of the road
south of the Heron rookery. Small flocks of Cranes were also seen
winging their way south from Post Office Lake.Of course, Canada Geese
were everwhere!!!! Many herons were seen sitting on their nests up in
the trees, but a good number of Herons were feeling in the fields
between the road and the Columbia River.
-----------Other birds seen around the flooded landscape:
Wood ducks(4)
Buffleheads
Widgeons
No. Shovelers
Great Egrets(17 counted about one shallow pond)
Pintails
Green-winged Teals
Ring-necked Ducks(yes....Ring-necks!!!!!a fair number of them too!!!!)
Pied-billed Grebes
a male and female Common Goldeneyes
Common Mergansers
Lincoln Sparrow(1)
Tree Swallows (only a few)
Red-tailed Hawk
No. Harrier Hawk
Kestral
Sharp-shinned Hawk(appeared to be a juvenile)
Am. Coots
Red-winged Blackbirds(several females)

------------Had business to do at that end of town, so went back to
Vanc. Lake area for a little hiking between the raindrops...after work
today--Monday. Heard a terrific din of many Sandhill Cranes, so went a
bit further to check it out. The hundreds of cranes were still at the
same location, and the same amount of Tundra Swans were still scattered
amoung the cranes Must be some mighty good eatin' in that field south of
Frenchman's Bar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

----------------Have a good one, ya' all hear now!!!!!!!

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