Today, Jim Pruske and I birded Mt. St. Helens and vicinity. The weather
was sunny and heated up by late morning and stayed that way for the rest
of the trip. We had little wind in the lower areas and moderate winds in
the higher elevations. We ended the day with 60 species, and the best
bird of the day was an immature Golden Eagle soaring above the hill by
the Forest Learning Center. We had good numbers of Yellow, Wilson's, and
Black Throated Gray Warblers, Warbling Vireos, Willow and Pacific Slope
Flycathcers throughout the day. Here are some of the birds seen during
our trip.

1/2 mile east of the SR 505 and SR 504 intersection.
4 Turkey Vultures
1 Orange Crowned Warbler
2 Black Throated Gray Warblers

Sediment Dam
1 pair of Blue Winged Teal
1 pair of Common Mergansers
many Spotted Sandpipers
many Black Throated Gray Warblers
many Wilson's Warblers
many Yellow Warblers
many Warbling Vireos
many Pacific Slope Flycathcers
2 Willow Flycatchers
1 American Kestrel

Forest Road 3100
1 Pileated Woodpecker
1 pair of Chestnut Backed Chickadees

Forest Learning Center
1 immature Golden Eagle
1 Gray Jay

Small pond before Johnson Ridge Observatory junction
1 Audubons Yellow Rumped Warbler
1 Blue Grouse

Coldwater Lake
1 pair of Barrows Goldeneye
3 Northern Roughed Winged Swallows
1 Osprey
1 Cowbird
many Spotted Sandpipers
many Willow Flycatchers

Hummocks Trail
1 pair of Cinammon Teal
1 American Kestrel
1 Sora
several Western Meadowlarks

St. Helens Visitor Ceneter near Silver Lake
1 Sora
1 Virginia Rail
2 Osprey
1 Turkey Vulture
2 Western Tanagers

A few misses for the day were Common Snipe, Green Winged Teal, and
Common Nighthawk, which I have had in the past about mid June. However,
I will not complain, we had a great day.

Dave Hayden
Lakewood, WA
dtvhm at nwrain.com