Hi all -
Yesterday afternoon, while birding at the Stevenson Community Park
in Skamania County, I was surprised to find myself looking at a
beautiful LONG-TAILED JAEGER. The jaeger was still in sharp
alt/breeding plumage, and best of all it still had its long tail
'streamers' -
I watched it circle overhead for a couple minutes before it gained
altitude and headed east. The park had very few gulls on its ponds,
so if that's what the jaeger was hoping for I'm guessing it moved on
to elsewhere on the Columbia.

The Stevenson Community Park, is on the west end of Stevenson, north
of SR 14 - Basically, this is the park & fairgrounds around the edges
of the big pond visible from the hwy here. [Delorme, p24 C-1, area
referred to as 'Rock Cove' in the WA ABA guide p.257]

Other birds:
Thursday [8/19], Klickitat County:
Satus Pass - very birdy when I stopped by in the morning, I wish I'd
stayed longer. No real migrating surprises, but a good selection
found just by wandering for a while: Lots of Western Tanagers & Cedar
Waxwings, as well as Nashville Warbler, Cassin's Finch, Townsend's
Solitaire, Red-naped Sapsucker, Gray Flycatchers [and as with
everywhere on this trip, many other quiet empids] and others.
[location: hwy97, delorme p 26 A-3/4, WA ABA p. 339]

Conboy Lake NWR - Not as active as the pass [it was getting hotter,
though], but the WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKERS showed up along the Willard
Springs trail.
[Delorme, p.25 A-6, WA ABA p. 338]

Old Highway 8 x Balch Rd - ACORN WOODPECKERS on the old granary tree.
I also watched the other snag north of the road mentioned by Robert
Sundstrom in a recent post - it looks great, but no one visited it in
the hour or so I was there. However, here another 'other snag'
possibility for folks to keep an eye on when visiting the Acorn
Woodpeckers: Stop at the intersection of Old Hwy 8 and Major Creek
Rd., just over 2 miles from the western end of OH 8. Just south of
the intersection is a burnt snag with lots of suspicious holes in
it. In fact, looking closer I believe I saw a few of the holes
stuffed with acorns. This might be misperception, remnants of an old
granary tree, or just maybe a new site. If so, it will offer much
much better views than the distant Balch rd tree.
Also along Balch Rd, LESSER GOLDFINCHES and Western Bluebirds were
numerous around the old cemetery.
[location: Delorme p 25 C-6, WA ABA p.333]

Bingen Ponds :
GREAT EGRET - one on the ponds.
AMERICAN WIGEONS - isn't this early for these guys? Sure enough, 4-5
of them were sitting there on the main pond.
[location: Delorme p.25 C-5, WA ABA p. 332]

Friday [8/20], Skamania County:
I had a good day trying out various spots in Skamania County, but
other than the surprise Jaeger, nothing very surprising showed up. I
most enjoyed a drive up hwy 30 from Carson, stopping randomly along
the river banks as I headed further into the Gifford-Pinchot NF.


Good birding,

Matt Bartels
Seattle, WA

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