Subject: Look, maw....Dem dar' geese are coming!!!!!!!..........From S.W. Wash.
Date: Oct 06 19:09:26 1998
From: Gerald Hamilton - gerald at e-z.net


...........The sun came out, and I went for a drive----by Vancouver
Lake; up Lower River road along the Columbia River to the old diary farm
in Ridgefield NWR. And......what did we see?????? Well, let me see,
now!!!!!
--------The 1st large pond by the last dairy farm on your right: About
100 Long-billed Dowitchers, along with Canada Geese, and Mallards(the
males , in varying degrees, are getting bright colors back again).
--------At Vancouver Lake Park:Double-crested Cormorants;House Finches;
Rufuus-sided Towhees, Oregin Juncos, Scrub Jays, and lots of small birds
with white breasts and dark, blackish wings flying high up...possibly
Swallows...I don't know.
--------Just south of the Flushing Channel, in a field of stubble, were
approximately 110 Sandhill Cranes. Also hundreds of Canada Geese. Many
more large flocks of Canada Geese were arriving or passing overhead.
Several different sizes and color variations were noted, so they
appeared to be several mixed species...'Lesser'being mentioned as being
one of then by an adjacent observer. Also seen were several small groups
(3-4) of White-fronted Geese passing overhead(as evidenced by their
"speckled bellies").
--------Walked the last mile or two to the old diary, by the lake in the
wildlife refuge. Quite a number of Widgeons present, along with
Mallards, Cormorants, and a Killdeer. The Willows and Poplars along the
road were filled with all kinds of song-birds: Cedar Waxwings;Common
Yellowthroats; Rufuus-sided Towhees; a Wrentit;a Hermit Thrush(in the
field); Savanna Sparrows; Lincoln's Sparrows;2 Northern Flickers; Scrub
Jays, Steller's Jays; 1 Eastern Kingbird; Oregon Juncos;Red-winged
Blackbirds.......and several other species of the more common "generic"
varieties. One mediun sized bird, orange and black with white edges on
their feathers, and some white underneath, flew overhead, but did not
stop-----would have to *guess* it was a Northern Oriole. Would probably
have spotted even more birds had I stayed longer, but the day was
growing late and I had to go home.
..............My Mountain Ash in front of my mobile home has been
*picked totally clean* of all red berries by the birds...mostly Robins,
Finches, Black-capped Chickadees, Srarlings, Oregon Juncos(on the
ground)and Scrub and Stellers Jays(yes...I have *both* species here all
the time!!!)
Good nite!!!!!!!

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