..................Take one cloudy, cool, afternoon, with a hint of
drizzle now and then at the refuge just north of Vanc. Wash., and mix
well with a bevy of birds, geese and ducks, and you have one nice
afternoon of birding, with no sun to reflect off the wetlands and "blind
ya".
..................To "greet you" at the west entrance were hugh numbers
of CANADA GEESE---too numerous to count, but I would feel safe of saying
around 800-1000--total masses of geese south as far as the eye could see
south along the east road. Some had metal yellow neck bands---many with
pronounced white neck rings---totally awesome to see such hugh numbers
so late in the season.
.................Then the ducks everywhere(....each species in varying
numbers): RING-NECKS, SCAUP, PINTAILS; SHOVELERS( everywhere!!!);
WIDGEONS; GADWALLS;CINNAMON & GREEN-WINGED TEALS; BUFFLEHEADS; RUDDYS;
PIED-BILLED GREBES, MALLARDS; WOOD DUCKS (6), and.....of course the very
common COOT.
.................1 SWAN (pretty large---possibly TRUMPETER) way over at
the edge of a pond by the maintenance shops).
.................1 GREATER YELLOWLEGS just north of Rest lake. BLUE
HERONS here and there.
..................1 BALD EAGLE in the trees(immature--2nd year juvenile
judging by amount of brown and white "streaking")---later to be seen
again further on. 1 HARRIER HAWK near by.
..................M &F YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS in the trees at the
pathway to bird blind, along with, in the marsh area, MARSH WRENS; FOX
SPARROW; RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS; 2 YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS; AND 1 AM.
BITTERN in plain sight doing his very loud "oonk-a-lunk"
.................COMMON YELLOWTHROATS, SCRUB JAYS; AND 1 HERMIT THRUSH
seen further on.
..................Zillions of SWALLOWS, mostly TREE AND CLIFF SWALLOWS.
.................Too bad the Kiwi Trail is not open (May 1st) as this is
an excellent hiking area to see migrating songbirds.
.................Nothing that unusual---just* plenty *of winged creatures.

.................Gerald Hamilton
Brush Prairie, Wash.
gerald at e-z.net
..........