I checked the Bingen Pond on Thursday, Nov. 8th and did not see
the ibis. A check of the Bird Sightings Book on the wall of Loafers
Bakery in Bingen showed that it had not been reported since the end of
October. I left with the information that a couple of White-throated
Sparrows were being seen around the pond. I headed out with a couple of
apple fritters and a cup of coffee and drove around the pond. There were
good numbers of SONG, GOLDEN-CROWNED, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS but there
was nothing out of the ordinary. No ibis on the pond but a fair mix of
ducks including AMERICAN WIGEON, GADWALL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, MALLARD, and
NORTHERN PINTAIL. There were no scaup in the Columbia River to check
through for the return of the Tufted Duck that has wintered there the
last several years.
From Bingen I drove up to the Catherine Creek Nature Conservancy
Reserve above Rowland Lake. A flock of about 50 WESTERN BLUEBIRDS flitted
about the small pines near the parking lot. The first of two MERLIN were
about a mile east of Major Creek, the other was at the intersection with
Balch Road. I ran out of light by the time I got to the Acorn Woodpecker
site so I can't give an update on this bird.
Wilson Cady
gorgebirds at juno.com