...............Visited Vanc. Lake area and northwards along Lower River
Rd. to Ridgefield NWR. Sunday. The sun played 'peek-a-boo' with the
shower clouds, and for a time the showers won!!!
................Swollen Vanc. Lake appeared a bit short as for
waterfowl---some CORMORANTS, BUFFLEHEAD, MALLARDS, AND 4 COMMON
MERGANSERS. GOLDEN CROWNED SPARROWS, a BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, SCRUB
JAY, OREG. JUNCOS, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS and ROBINS flitted around the
immediate environs. About a 100 TUNDRA SWANS were on a lake just north
of Shillapoo Lake. SANDHILL CRANES were heard but not seen. Plenty of
CANADA GEESE. A burnt-orangish and black bird was seen perched on a tree
limb by the road, but flew away before I could stop and use my binos.
for identification.
............... Many GREAT BLUE HERONS were perched near their nests in
the trees of the Heron rookeries., but not yet sitting in the nests.
...............Colunbia River very high water with lots of debris and
logs. Gliding along with the flotsam were 2 female and 1 male COMMON
MERGANSERS. HARRIER HAWKS, RED-TAILED HAWKS (1 mature and 1 immature),
and ......what appeared to be a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, though distance
prevented a positive ID )-:
...............As usual this year, the numbers of ducks on Postmaster
Lake was much less than other years......Lots of GREEN-WINGED TEALS.
Also PINTAILS, SHOVELORS, WIDGEON, SCAUP, BUFFLEHEAD, RING-NECKED DUCKS,
GADWALLS, PIED-BILLED GREBES CINNAMON TEALS, and.....a few CANADA GEESE
--you know, the usual winter residents!!!
.............I certainly missed the vast numbers of Can. Geese on the
adjoining fields, and didn't see any flocks of geese heading overhead
westbounds to the roosting areas. I terribly missed the noisy, raucous
flocks passing above me in the waning light of late aft. .....Strange!!!!
.............Also missed the Swans that are usually present on the lake.

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