Subject: Pileated WP eating Dogwood Seeds
Date: Oct 2 15:20:52 2001
From: John & Loraine Allinger - jonymike at pacifier.com


Sat. Sep 29 - watched a pileated woodpecker about 1 or 2 miles east of
Cougar,
Cowlitz Co. (along SR 503 Spur) flying and then relocated it just beyond
clearcut, beside the highway, eating the red seeds of a dogwood tree.
Location was just beyond the large clearcut on the north side of the
highway. Real good looks. Suspected it to be a juvenile male. White
patches beneath wings did not match guidebooks.

At Lahar on SE shoulder of Mt. St. Helens, MSHNVM in Skamania Co., watched a
number (6 - 12) Mountain Bluebirds foraging. At least one was a rufous
(breasted) female - see Sibley's Guide. Hoped to see something like the
100 we'd seen at Windy Pass on NE shoulder of Mt. St. Helens in October the
year prior to the 1980 eruption. Alas, it was not to be. The baby carried
that day in his mother's front pack is now a grown man, off on his own.
Change is constant.

Sun. Sep 30th - Johnston Ridge - Harry's Ridge, MSHNVM. Very strong
easterly winds kept the birds down most of the day. A few Horned Larks and
a
Merlin were among very limited sightings during lulls in the winds.

John & Loraine Allinger
45-45 N -- 122-28 W - Elev: 160m(500ft)
Hockinson, Clark Co., WA, US
Mailto: jonymike at pacifier.com