...................Went to Long Beach, Wash. Fri.-Sun. Saw lots of birds,
but will mention only a few.
...................A large number of Tundra Swans on the pond just east
of I-5 just north of Kalama, Wash.
...................A few Greater Scaup along with scads of DC Cormorants
and West. Grebes on the Columbia River by east end of Puget
Island(Cathlamet, Wash.).
...................A few large rafts of Lesser Scaup were swimming up the
river in Whitetail Deer Refuge, A Coopers Hawk and a Kestrel was noted,
along with other ducks and Grebes, and......a few elk.
...................Several Hooded Mergansers on Deep River by Wash. 4
---between Nasalle, and Grays River.
...................One Glaucous-winged Gull observed at Nacotta boat
basin(north end of Long Beach Penin.) with one large oyster shell stuck
perpendicular between the top and lower part of his bill. It finally
flew off without having been able to dislodge the shell!!!!!
..................A very obliging mature Bald Eagle kept making numerous
low-level passes over the beach at Willapa Bat(Leadbetter Point).
Despite the obviousness of such a large, magnificent bird, many of the
walkers on the beach didn't even notice it!!!
....................Despite the choppy waters produced by a stiff east
wind over the bay, there were zillions of the usual small shorebirds.
The ocean side had a strange lack of shorebirds(except for a few
Sanderlings).
....................Was really fascinated by the scene of 7-8 Gulls
fighting over the dismembered remains of a one Crab. One Gull would
grab a leg, and several others immediately harassed the Gull till it
dropped the leg. This went on with much screaming for quite some time.
....................A group of six Greater Yellowlegs flew into the pond
by the motel, and nosily stayed till after dark.
....................Fri. and Sat. were sunny----Sun. cloudy with a even
colder east wind. I know I didn't see every bird out there(didn't really
try!!!!)---just enjoyed a relaxing few days observing whatever happened
across my path. It's not how much you see, but *what* you see, me
thinks. (-:
Gerald Hamilton
Brush Prairie, Wash.
gerald at e-z.net.