Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I birded the Ridgefield NWR area in Clark Co. along with a stop made along Dike Access Rd. and vicinity near Woodland in Cowlitz Co. We began our day by driving the River S Unit at Ridgefield NWR between 11am-12:15pm,then extensive walking made at the Carty Unit north of Carty Lake from 12:30pm-1:30pm. Our main highlight occurred at the Carty Unit of Ridgefield NWR,which consisted of a actively calling immature Red-shouldered Hawk observed within the dense stands of trees north of Carty Lake. The bird remained in dense trees before flying to denser vegetation,as the bird called. Away from the Red-shouldered Hawk we observed very few raptors during the entire day with Am.Kestrels being the most numerous raptor species.The drive along the River S Unit produced very good numbers of Tree Swallows and Yellow-rumped Warblers,which were the 2 most abundant species away from Northern Shovelers. Additional noteworthy species noted from both units at Ridgefield NWR included the following:

1 Great Egret
88 Tundra Swans(noted from Rest and Carty Lakes)
15 Wood Ducks
1 pair of Cinnamon Teal
9 Canvasbacks
7 Greater Scaup(Rest Lake)
32 Ruddy Ducks
1 Northern Harrier
3 Am.Kestrels
1 Red-breasted Sapsucker
2 Downy Woodpeckers
1 Hairy Woodpecker
4 White-breasted Nuthatches(River S Unit)
3 Brown Creepers
1 Lincoln's Sparrow

On our way home we birded the Dike Access Rd. complex west of Woodland,which produced a few additional highlights for the day beginning with an immature Harris' Sparrow observed in a bramble patch along the southern portion of Roberson Rd.(accessed off of Whalen Rd.)and is presumably the same individual previously reported by Marcus Roening on the 24th of January and later observed by us on the 27th of January. The bird was observed with a small flock of Golden and White-crowned Sparrows,as in our last visit. Another notable species we observed was a single female Anna's Hummingbird foraging amongst some blooming plants at a residence along the Columbia River south of Whalen Rd.,before flying off to the east. Other noted species encountered within the Dike Access Rd. area included the following:

1 Great Egret
8 Wood Ducks
1 Northern Harrier
8 Am.Kestrels
1 Merlin
12 California Quail
1,200+ Sandhill Cranes(observed foraging in a large plowed dirt field along Dike Rd. north of Whalen Rd. and most likely gathering up for migration)
1 adult White-throated Sparrow(white-striped form observed amongst a small flock of Golden and White-crowned Sparrows along a brushy area along the Columbia River north of Whalen Rd.)


Mammal highlights of the day begin with a very close look at a Mink on land along the southern portion of the River S Unit of Ridgefield NWR bordering Rest Lake,before it swan off in a canal. Other mammals noted from Ridgefield NWR included a Coyote observed along the dike immediately west of Carty Lake and numerous Nutria and a single River Otter at the River S Unit. 2 Garter Snakes were also noted at the Carty Unit of Ridgefield NWR of undetermined species.


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Tacoma,WA
godwit at worldnet.att.net


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