Subject: Black Phoebe remains
Date: Dec 31 18:30:24 2001
From: Ruth Sullivan - godwit at worldnet.att.net


Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I spent the last day of 2001 in Wahkiahkum and Cowlitz
Cos., mainly in search of the BLACK PHOEBE at Juliet Butler Hansen NWR in
Wahkiahkum Co., where it was well photographed and well observed during our
entire visit from 11:20am-3:30pm, but the bird would occasionally be silent,
and unnoticed at times,presumably resting along the canal. The weather
conditions were quite favorable during our visit, with only minor wind at
times allowing great views of the bird, as it continuously foraged around
the entire headquarter grounds, as well as along the vegetated canal
immediately west of the headquarter building and close to the culvert, that
continues the canal to the west. The bird would actively call and "flycatch"
from several perches, as we first noted the bird immediately upon our
arrival, as we watched the bird with Keith Brady of Olympia and the wildlife
biologist who found the bird back in October. We were to encounter a few
additional notable species along the loop drive along Steamboat Slough Road,
before relocating the Black Phoebe before we left towards home at 3:30pm. Up
to 12 Columbia White-tailed Deer were encountered along the Steamboat Slough
Rd. route, of the presumed 300 population within the refuge. Our day started
with 12 Tundra Swans observed flying along I-5 between MP 65 and 66, south
of Napavine in Lewis Co. The most notable species during our visit at Juliet
Butler Hansen NWR included:

6 White-tailed Kites
1 Sharp-shinned Hawk
1 "Harlan's" Red-tailed Hawk
1 American Kestrel
1 Taiga Merlin
18 Black-bellied Plovers
6 Least Sandpipers
72 Dunlin
1 BARN SWALLOW
1 Varied Thrush
1 Yellow-rumped"Myrtle"Warbler
1 female COMMON YELLOWTHROAT
37 "Sooty"Fox Sparrows(high count)
1 tan-striped WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
8 Purple Finches

On our way home we stopped by and checked the Longview STP(accessed from
Hwy.4)in Cowlitz Co., with a few additional species for the day including:

1 male Canvasback
4 Greater Scaup
1 Spotted Sandpiper
1 adult Herring Gull


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net