This report was mailed for Wayne Weber by http://birdnotes.net

Date: September 15, 2003
Location: Cowlitz County, Washington

Low temperature: 48 degrees fahrenheit High temperature: 70 degrees fahrenheit
Wind direction: Variable
Prevailing wind speed: 1-5 km/h
Precipitation: none

The following birds were observed by Wayne Weber on September 15,
2003 between about 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM. The area covered was the
Columbia River bottoms along Dike Access, Dike, Whalen, and adjacent
roads near Woodland, Cowlitz County, WA, from Burke Island in the
north to the Lewis River in the south. There were low-lying clouds
and overcast in the morning, gradually lifting and becoming almost
clear in the afternoon.

The highlights included an estimated 4000 VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS (3000
in one flock on Robinson Road near Dike Access Road, 1000 in a second
flock near the north end of Dike Road opposite Burke Island); a
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH (rare in Cowlitz County) and quite a few
migrating warblers in an oak stand near 612 Whalen Road; a total of
29 raptors of 6 species; and a flock of 8 SANDHILL CRANES over Burke
Island. Counts of 65 MOURNING DOVES and 200 CEDAR WAXWINGS were also
noteworthy.

Birds seen (in taxonomic order):

Double-crested Cormorant 25
Great Blue Heron 8
Turkey Vulture 10
Canada Goose 10
Wood Duck 4
Mallard 16
Cinnamon Teal 1 [1]
Common Merganser 2 [2]
Osprey 2 [3]
Northern Harrier 1
Red-tailed Hawk 9
American Kestrel 6 [4]
Merlin 1 [5]
California Quail 6
Sandhill Crane 8 [6]
Killdeer 12
Common Snipe 2
California Gull 80
Glaucous-winged Gull 10
Rock Dove 25
Mourning Dove 65 [7]
Vaux's Swift 10
Belted Kingfisher 4
Downy Woodpecker 2
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 2
Unidentified Empidonax 1 [8]
Western Scrub-Jay 6
American Crow 30
Violet-green Swallow 4000 [9]
Barn Swallow 100
Black-capped Chickadee 10
White-breasted Nuthatch 1 [10]
Bewick's Wren 3
Swainson's Thrush 3
American Robin 10
European Starling 400
American Pipit 1
Cedar Waxwing 200 [11]
Orange-crowned Warbler 1
Yellow Warbler 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler 2
Black-throated Gray Warbler 4
Common Yellowthroat 10
Spotted Towhee 2
Savannah Sparrow 10
Song Sparrow 15
White-crowned Sparrow 6
Red-winged Blackbird 250
Brewer's Blackbird 40
Brown-headed Cowbird 10 [12]
House Finch 12
American Goldfinch 12
House Sparrow 8

Footnotes:

[1] Cinnamon Teal-- in ditch on Dike Access Road
[2] Common Merganser-- 2 f in Columbia R. backwater
[3] Osprey-- 2 on nest along Columbia R.
[4] Am. Kestrel-- one caught a large vole, then made off with it
after a brief scuffle with a Merlin
[5] Merlin-- immature
[6] Sandhill Crane-- one single then a flock of 7 flying over Burke
I.; same birds (presumably) seen later about 3 miles to the
south.
[7] Mourning Dove-- one flock of about 35 along Dike Road, several
smaller flocks
[8] Unidentified Empidonax-- probably a Willow Flycatcher, in
shrubbery along Columbia R.
[9] Violet-green Swallow-- 3000 in one flock on wires on Robinson
Rd. near Dike Access Rd., 1000 in another flock near N end of
Dike Road
[10] White-br. Nuthatch-- one bird (possibly 2) persistently calling
and seen briefly in an oak grove near 612 Whalen Road
[11] Cedar Waxwing-- most of these 200 in one flock near S end of
Burke I.
[12] Brown-h. Cowbirds-- in flock with Red-winged Blackbirds along
Dike Access Road

Total number of species seen: 55