Hi folks,

Yesterday, I had a chance to go on a canoeing trip 9 miles *up* the Black River
from Rochester, with the Wash. Native Plant Society. We put in at about 10 a.m.,
and poking along with the wind, finished at about 4 p.m.

My first impression was that there were more Yellow Warblers along this stretch
of river than I've seen in a long time! While not birding, per se, we saw a few species....

Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
Canada Goose
Mallard
Wood Duck
Hooded Merganser
Turkey Vulture
Osprey - pair at nest in large fir snag
Red-tailed Hawk
Kestrel
Spotted Sandpiper - egg shells found along gravel bar
Band-tailed Pigeon
Rock Dove (at Rochester)
Rufous Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Violet-green Swallow
Barn Swallow
Red-shafted Flicker
Crow
Raven
Steller's Jay
Western (Pacific-slope) Flycatcher
Black-capped Chickadee
Bewick's Wren
Robin
Swainson's Thrush
Hutton's Vireo
Yellow Warbler - ubitquitous
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat - not as many as I'd expected..
Black-headed Grosbeak - common, singing from Oregon ash
Song Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow - at take-out 3 miles S of Littlerock
Spotted Towhee
Brown-headed Cowbird - common (due to all the yellow warblers?)
Starling

Would likely have seen more birds had we started earlier in the morning, or spent more
time birding, rather than botanizing...

Saw a few other critters:
Beaver 'lodge' and gnawed sticks/trees
Nutria - one seen
Raccoon - one seen
2 unidentified lamprey
Freshwater sponges
Freshwater mussels - mostly evidenced at raccoon dinner tables...

Good day, not too hot or cold. Only a few sprinkles. Good company.
And - I learned a few plants....

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, Washington
festuca at olywa.net