On Sept. 9 Jerry Swena, Dave Arbour, and I birded Wahkiakum County looking for White-tailed Kites. We first stopped at Julia Butler
Hansen National Wildlife Refuge just west of Cathlamet. Highlights include 1-White-tailed Kite, 1-Bald Eagle, 2-American Kestrels,
1-Merlin, 26-Sandhill Cranes flying low heading east following the river, 1-Vaux's Swift flying with swallows, 1-Hairy Woodpecker,
1-Purple Martin, 1000's of swallows composed of Violet-green and Barn, 1-MacGillivray's Warbler, 1-Dark-eyed Junco by itself, 7-Red
Crossbills.

At Altoona we saw 1-Common Loon which was calling, 3 Pelagic Cormorants, 2-Spotted Sandpipers, 16-Band-tailed Pigeons, 1-Mourning
Dove, 2-Vaux's Swifts, 1-Pileated Woodpecker, 1-Yellow Warbler, 4-Black-throated Gray Warbler, 1-Wilson's Warbler.

We also checked Chinook Valley Road in Pacific County, but could not find any Kites.

The day before at Tokeland we could not locate the Bar-tailed Godwit. But did find 13-Willets, 1-Common Tern, 8-Whimbrel.

Ken Knittle, Monroe
washingtonbirder at hotmail.com