I spent 2 hours driving the loop at Ridgefield NWR in Clark County. Some
birds which I thought should have been seen or heard weren't. I did not see
any Great Egrets or American Bitterns. Nor were there any shorebirds.
Ring-billed Gull was the only gull species I could ID, however I noticed
many gulls way over along the Columbia River which were too far away for
possitive ID. Sparrows were scarce also. There usually is Golden-crowned
and I never heard or saw any. My total for the 2 hours was 43 species.
Highlights were 1 pair of Cinnamon Teal in the wet grassy area in front of
the blind. Also just beyond in a tree top was a very pale gray adult
Peregrine Falcon. I don't think I seen one this pale gray especially on the
back. Perhaps a different subspecies than we normally see. Near the end of
the loop there was an imm. Peregrine Falcon sitting on the ground feeding on
something. This imm. looked more like a normal Peregrine that we see here
in western Washington.

Also found a stray cat eating a Garder Snake and saw another Garter Snake
that had been flatten by someone's tires.

Out from the blind in the main pond were 8 Canvasback. This duck isn't
always here, but this winter I have usually seen at least 1. Tree Swallows
are in force. Perhaps 300+ Tree Swallows with 20 or so Barn Swallows and I
saw just 1 Violet-green Swallow.

The woods leading down into the refuge were quiet due to a Red-tailed Hawk
with a 4-5 Steller Jays trying to mob the hawk. The only calling birds were
many Winter Wrens and a few Song Sparrows and the quiet notes of feeding
Golden-crowned Kinglets high in the trees. Yellow-rumped Warblers were
common in the Oregon Ash trees where the road meanders through after the
blind.

Away from the refuge I saw Wood Ducks north of Battle Ground and an adult
Golden Eagle just south of Kelso east of the freeway high above a ridge.
Bald Eagles have become almost abundant along the rivers sitting in trees.
The refuge had several Bald Eagles too.

Ken Knittle, Vancouver, WA
washingtonbirder at hotmail.com





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