................Was going to the coast (Long Beach Peninsula) this
weekend, but couldn't make contact with the place I usually stay at.
.................So-o-o-o-o......I went to River-S unit of Ridgefield NWR
on Fri. 3rd.----Weather was really nice and sunny after few rain showers
earlier.
.................A few SCAUPS, BUFFLEHEADS, RING-NECKS; WIDGEONS; lots
of SHOVELERS; 6 RUDDY DUCKS; GADWALLS still hanging around, along with
the usual menagerie of summer residents. Didn't see the lone Trumpeter
Swan (...could have left or...was out of my line of sight). A bevy of
very noisy WESTERN CANADA GEESE were 'strutting their stuff' ( the
smaller migratory geese were not seen anywhere). BL. HERONS everywhere.
................3 noisy VIRGINIA RAILS were parading around in plain
sight 6-8 feet of the road in a marsh to the left near the entrance.
Awesome that these usually elusive marsh birds were so close and
viewable. The AMERICAN BITTERN was seen and heard again at the Rest Lake
blind, as well as others heard in scattered locations along with SORA.
................LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS,; WOOD DUCKS; HERMIT THRUSH;
BEWICK'S and WINTER WREN; 1 RED-CROSSBILL;WHITE-CROWNED LINCOLN'S; AND
SAVANNAH SPARROWS; BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES; YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS AND
COMMON YELLOWTHROATS in the trees; RED-WINGED and YELLOW-HEADED
BLACKBIRDS; SCRUBJAYS; AM. GOLDFINCHES and I RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD buzzing
past me while watching the Vir. Rails.
................On the Kiwa Trail PINE SISKINS and a few PURPLE MARTINS
SEEN.
................The Orange-crowned Warbler seen by many birders continues
to allude me!!!!!! (-:

................Sat. I walked the Carty Unit north of Ridgefield where I
tripped on protruding rocks on the trail and fell hurting my left arm
and knee. Despite this unfortunate incidence it was a good afternoon
seeing: LINCOLN'S SPARROWS; BEWICK'S WREN; YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS; male
and female COMMON YELLOWTHROATS; SCRUB JAYS; SPOTTED TOWHEES; 1
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH; 1 WESTERN TANAGER; WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS, and
WOOD DUCKS.
...............Enough of this!!!!!! (-:

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