.................Sat. Feb. 17th:
---50 Tundra Swans observed on the pond just east of I-5
just north of Kalama, Wash.
---JB Whitetail Deer Refuge near Skamakawa, Wash.(on Hwy 4
half way between Longview and Long Beach, Wash.): A Greater Yellowlegs,
Gadwalls, Common Mergansers, Lesser Scaup, and 1 Greater Scaup, Hooded
Mergansers, Ring-necks, along with Pintails and plenty of other more
"mundane"ducks. Rufous-sided Towhees were seen along the road.
------But...........most awesome was a sight not normally
seen this far inland on the Columbia River. The smelt are running. From
the west side road in this refuge I saw *many* very noisy barking Calif.
Sea Lions and Harbor Seals(roughly about 40), along with hundreds of sea
gulls feasting on the smelt. On my way back I drove by the same spot to
see the same seals, and sea lions, this time under the light of a
flaming red sunset over the river(....what a sight!!!!)
--Along Why 101 I observed, on Willapa Bay, a number of
Red-breasted Mergansers and a "battalion" of 50 Canvasbacks.
.........Sun. Feb 18th: Ledbetter Point--north end of Long
Beach Peninsula.
--1 Bald Eagle, and* zillions *of shorebirds on the
receding tide. Blackbellied Plovers, Dunlin(the predominant species,
Western and Least Sandpipers, Long-billed Dowitchers, and...........a
large flotilla of about 100 Brant on the open water further out. 2
Hooded Mergansers cavorting further out,also.(...seems to be alot of
"Hoodies" this year!!!).
.........Mon. Feb.19th-----Walked the ocean beach. Saw
only Sanderlings and Gulls, and some black birds off shore(Sooty
Shearwaters??). Since the tide on Willapa Bay was so low, I gather that
most of the shorebirds were there.
----Ft. Canby State Park and the north jetty area--south
of Illwaco, Wash.: Saw 6 Red Crossbills in a spruce next to the parking
lot of the boat ramp area on the inlet near the Coast Guard station.
Some were the red males, and some were the yellowish females. Also....a
pair of Red-throated Loons were swimming further out on the water. Afew
Surf Scoters under the Lighthouse on the bluffs.
.....Oregon Juncos and White-crowned Sparrows gave me a
"wake-up" show outside my motel bedroom window. Rain Sat. night, but
otherwise light offshore winds under balmy sunny skies make this
beautiful beach walking weather for Feb. Many birds were seen, but I
just mentioned the "more interesting" species for the sake of brevity.
............Cheers
Gerald Hamilton
Brush Prairie, Wash.
gerald at e-z.net