........................Went with a friend to Vancouver Lake and north up
the Lower River Rd. to the end(in RNWRefuge) just north of Vanc. Wash.
this Sun. aft.
........................The rain and the wind had stopped, and the sun
even weakly came out. Every piling at the Vanc. Lake beach had a
Double-crested Cormorant perched on them. and.....a number of Western
Grebes and some asst. Widgeons and Mallards out on the lake......along
with a Pied-billed Grebe..Among the bushes and trees by the parking lot
were spotted good numbers of Golden-crowned Sparrows, and Ore. dark-eyed
Juncos, along with Robins. Up in the trees was a Steller's Jay; a Scrub
Jay, a Cedar Waxwing, and on the trunk of one maple a female Downy
Woodpecker. A few wren sized birds flitted around the berry bushes in
the north end of the park( they never stopped long enough for me to to
see *what* species they exactly were!!). Several No. Harrier Hawks
soared above us.
.......................*Thousands* of Canada Geese in the fields along
Lower River Rd.(undoubtedly 'driven' to this area from adjacent areas
where hunting is still going on).They would come and go in large
flocks--a noisy, awesome spectacle. Blue Herons were ever present.
Hundreds more Canadas were congregated around the 2 large lakes at the
former Ridgeport Dairy(now Ridgefield Nat'l Wildlife Refuge) A number
of Tundra Swans were on several of the lakes along with a small
contingent of Trumpeter Swans. Common Mergansers(about10), along with
Buffleheads, No. Schovelers, Pintails, Green-winged teals, Coots,
Widgeons, and Mallards.. A Ring-necked Pheasant was strutting around in
a field; and a Pacific Loon was observed swimming along the shore of the
Columbia River, while a Red-tailed Hawk kept circling overhead.
.........................Nothing terribly unusual, but a nice assortment
of winged creatures to show a friend---a relative neophyte to bird
watching.
..........................Have a good day!!!

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