Hi Tweets, I took advantage of a day off from work to get out and take a
look around my usual areas of Brady Loop and Wenzel Slough Rd. I noticed
that there is a lot of singing going on these days. Also, I don't know if
its just me, but it seems that more and more robins are showing up. Along
the Monte-Brady Rd. in route to Brady Loop from the west side, I had a very
nice look at an adult Cooper's Hawk that was perched up in a cluster of
trees along the road. On the west end of Brady Loop, the usual suspects
were present including Tundra and Trumpeter Swans in the wetland area there.
Also, the Rough-legged Hawk that hangs out in this area was perched up on an
utility pole allowing great looks. Further along the loop just past the
public fishing parking lot, there was a pretty large group of Canada Geese.
One of the geese caught my attention quickly because it appeared to be a
partial albino with about 50% of its usual brown areas being white.

At the intersection of Brady Loop and Foster Rd, there was what I thought at
first another Rough-legged Hawk up in the top of one of the trees there.
However, I changed my mind when I passed by it the second time because I had
a better view of its tail feathers which were clearly tinged with red. The
hawk had an overall grayish-white coloration on its back which in
combination with the red tail is leading me to a possible Krider's
Red-tailed Hawk or perhaps just a light phase Red-tail. The variation in
red-tails sure does make identifying them a challenge sometimes! At the
same location, I watched an adult Bald Eagle scare up some ducks out in the
flooded fields. After the Bald Eagle landed in a nearby tree it became the
target for another Red-tailed Hawk to harass.

On the east side of Brady Loop, I noted a flock of about six American Pipits
working one of the fields. Also, near Willis St., there were more
Trumpeters and Tundras milling about.

On Wenzel Slough Rd just past Bill Goeres Farm, I had a male Ring-necked
Pheasant in the road. While I was pulled off the road, I was glad to meet
some other birders. There was one big group from Vashon Island that were
birding their way down to Tokeland. There was also another couple from
Colorado that was birding our state with the ABA's Guide to Washington. I
let them know about the Gyrfalcon at Midway Beach. Also, someone who
probably wasn't a birder stopped and told me that he had heard that a few
Sandhill Cranes had been seen a couple days ago along the west end of Wenzel
Slough. That is one bird that I seem to miss all the time around here!
Also, I met Allen Richards (hope I got that right) and his wife who are from
Naselle. We talked about the White-tailed Kite and we both headed down to
the Elma airport area to take a look for it. After much scanning, I spotted
the kite atop a tree to the south-east of the big pond that is directly east
of the airport runway. I flagged Allen down to make sure he got a look at
it. Not too bad of a day!

Tim O'Brien
Elma, WA
kertim7179 at centurytel.net