Hi Everyone--

Went birding around Vancouver Lake and Ridgefield NWR (southern access and River S) today. Could not find a Red-necked Grebe, but there appears to be a Clark's among the Westerns at the far southern end of Vancouver Lake; it was a terribly distant view, but the eye was visible in a field of white in the scope. A female Surf Scoter was in the river just north of the Ridgefield NWR border, as was a River Otter; a male Eurasian Wigeon was in Post Office Lake. Near Frenchman's Bar, a flock of Canada Geese with one Snow Goose flew overhead toward Sauvie Island. Along the River S auto route, the Black Phoebe was calling and flycatching near the Kiwa trail parking area (visible with patience from the road), a Red-shouldered Hawk was screaming from inside the woods there, and either this bird or a different one (it was an immature) flew into the last of the cottonwoods on the route and sat there silently for several minutes. Lots of Ring-necked Ducks, but nothing rare, in the Fruit Valley Sewage Lagoons.

Mark Miller
Vancouver, WA
snowyowl98683 at msn.com