Darryl Thompson of Pilchuck Audubon led a group of eight to Fortson Mill
Ponds December 14th, stopping at various points along Highway 530. It
was a wet cold bird trip, made pleasant by sightings of many American
Dippers, dozens of Bald Eagles, many Kinglets, especially Gold Crowned
accompanied by Chickadees and Downy Woodpeckers, spawning coho and chum
salmon and a delightful Northern Pigmy Owl, observed up close for about
five minutes. Depressing was the huge amount of trash strewn by
outdoorsmen; bottles, cans, shotgun casings, monofilament fishline, even
an automobile.
The following species were seen and/or heard:
American Crow
American Dipper
American Robin
American Wigeon
Bald Eagle
Belted Kingfisher
Black-capped Chickadee
Brown Creeper
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Common Raven
Dark-eyed Junco
Downy Woodpecker
European Starling
Glaucous-winged Gull
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Great Blue Heron
Green-winged Teal
Hairy Woodpecker
Mallard
Mew Gull
Northern Flicker
Northern Harrier
Northern Pygmy-Owl
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Red-tailed Hawk
Ring-billed Gull
Rock Dove
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Song Sparrow
Steller's Jay
Varied Thrush
Winter Wren