> An interesting report, Roger. Where did all this happen?

Regards,

Paul Webster

>
> Subject: Another fine day for birdin'
> Date: Sat, 24 Apr 1999 20:46:17 -0700
> From: Roger Craik <rcraik at home.com>
> To: Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
>
> To All
>
> Well so was yesterday, for that matter, so I'll combine the two into
> one report.
>
> I took the usual route, a 6 mi loop bike ride on top of a dike which has
> water on both sides of it most of the way. It has two different rivers
> on the outside and wide drainage ditches on the inside.
>
> In my last report I mentioned that I passed by an active Bald Eagles
> nest but I didn't say anything about the beaver dam that blocked one of
> the ditches.
>
> I say blocked because, yesterday, somebody walked a back-hoe right under
> the nest site and ripped the dam out. It was a nice solid dam and it
> only backed up about 2 feet of water into several miles of field
> drainage ditches. I could sympathize with the farmer if he were going to
> use these fields but they are lying fallow at the moment because all the
> dairy cattle have been moved out so the land can be subdivided into
> smaller parcels for hobby farms etc.
>
> Well needless to say, construction of a new dam has begun, a couple of
> hundred feet further along the ditch. Maybe this one will stay in long
> enough to see some changes to the breeding duck population.
>
> Other than the excitement with the beaver dam things were pretty quiet.
> There were a couple of flotillas of Common Mergansers (20+ in one river
> and 40+ in the other) doing their best to reduce the salmon population.
>
> Brown-headed Cowbirds have just started to rear their ugly heads and
> there are only a few Barn Swallows flitting around.
>
> The American Bittern wasn't there both days but I did discover a second
> Sandhill Crane. Things are looking up slightly.
>
> There was an increase in the number of Yellow Legs in the area and a
> couple of American Pipits as well.
>
> We still have a few Buffle Heads, Common Golden Eye and Ringed Necked
> ducks hanging around. Their numbers get fewer every day.
>
> It sure is a treat to have nice weather when one is on vacation. It
> beats Arizona any day of the week. (I would normally be just getting
> back from there but I bought this computer instead)
>
> Well that's all for now.
>
> Good Birding All
>
> Roger Craik
> Maple Ridge BC
> (east of Vancouver)
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------