Spent a few hours in the rain. Well maybe I should say hard rain. First
stopped at the Julia Butler Hansen NWR headquarters and the Black Phoebe was
there to greet us. A female Northern Harrier was sitting on one of the
newer post and what looked like a Red-shouldered Hawk quite a ways out. So
back to the car and dodging rain drops I grabbed my scope. Sure enough it
was a well soaked Red-shouldered Hawk. Along with 2 White-tailed Kites and
a male Sharp-shinned Hawk and 1 Rough-legged Hawk at the refuge we then
headed straight for Puget Island. 3 more White-tailed Kites, 2 of which
were free falling with their talons locked together and yes they did hit the
ground only to fly away and try again their odd behaviour. I stopped to
check out a falcon on Little Puget Island and there was a large branch in
the way to see his head, but the Peregrine Falcon was more curious than I
and he moved his head down so I could get a good look at him.

On the way back we stopped at some wet fields in Longview and found a
Eurasian Wigeon. To get to these ponds we took the road on the north side
of the sewer lagoons and went east to the first road south and then turned
west on a dead end road. This is where the shorebirds show up in the
spring.

Feb. 12 while working in Ridgefield on private property I had 1 Palm
Warbler. I was there Sunday morning also, but did not see or hear it.

Ken Knittle, Vancouver, WA
washingtonbirder at hotmail.com





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