Sunday, March 21st, I ran the monthly bird survey at the
Steigerwald Lake N.W.R. near Washougal in Clark County. One of the first
"good" birds I came across was a calling SORA, my first of the year. On
the Washougal Sewage Lagoons I found one pair of CINNAMON TEAL also first
of the year migrants.
The real surprise was when a BURROWING OWL flushed away from a
carcass of a Red-tailed Hawk that appeared to have been struck by a car.
The hawk had been dead for awhile but there were some freshly plucked
feathers floating around the hawk. It almost seemed like the owl was
scavenging on the hawk's body. I gave Sherry and Arden Hagen a call and
they hurried out and we refound the bird in the same general area. This
is a first sighting for the refuge and a county bird for all of the
observers.
Other species of interest seen were 2 TURKEY VULTURES and flocks
of VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS.
At home on Mt. Pleasant in Skamania County, we had or first
female RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD.
Wilson Cady
N45 35.618' W122 13.738'
Washougal, Skamania County, WA
gorgebirds at juno.com