This evening I spent 2 hours birding Ridgefield NWR. Total species was 65.
Highlights were 5-6 Black Terns and 2 Pectoral Sandpipers.

The wooded entrance had the normal: quite a few Western Tanagers,
Pacific-slope Flycatchers, Winter Wrens, and 1 Swainson's Thrush.

The northern part of the loop had: 1 male Pintail, 1 Black Tern, and 2
Purple Martins.

The Photo Blind had: 1 Yellow Warbler otherwise tons of House Wrens and Tree
Swallows, Soras and Common Snipe.

The southern ponds had: 6 Great Egrets (odd to see them together this time
of year), 2 Green-winged Teals (late), 1 male Bufflehead also late, 5 Black
Terns!

The last pond is usually good for shorebirds, but with migration just about
over I wasn't expecting much. I was surprised to see 2 Greater Yellowlegs
which should be a lot farther north by now, 2 Least Sandpipers, 2 Pectoral
Sandpipers (one with a broken leg), and 1 Lazuli Bunting.

Birds missed that have been there all along up to today were: Canada Geese,
Ruddy Ducks, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and Pine Siskins. The Yellow-rumps
obviously have headed for high elevation for breeding. And who knows why
the rest didn't show themselves. Siskins are wanders anyhow.

Ken Knittle, Vancouver, WA
washingtonbirder at hotmail.com



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