Subject: Sunday aft. at Conboy Lale.................
Date: Mar 29 19:03:50 2004
From: gerald - gerald at e-z.net


.................On a beautiful sunny Sunday took a drive to Conboy Lake
NWR---about 25 miles N-NE of White Salmon, Wash-Hood Rover, Oreg.. Snowy
Mt. Adams was absolutely stunning as it loomed over the rangelands,
farms and Lake Comboy itself.. Lake was about half filled with water.On
the return trip south on SR 141 Mt. Hood was awsome as it stood guard
over Hood River and the snow-topped hills along the gorge itself.. Such
beauty the Lord created for us all in the Pacific Northwest!!!!
.................Hikesd the 3-mile Willard Springs Trail. The view from
the observation deck on the north end of the trail---with Mt. Adams over
the lake, was awsome. Even more awesome were the pair of extaordinarily
loud large trumpeting SANDHILL CRANES there--I didn't know that cranes
could bellow this loud!!!
.................Zillions and zillions of CANADA GREESE on the
water---of all sizes and color variations--making quite a overwhelming
racket. Lots of ducks present, though a long distance off. What I could
identify was much of the same winter migrant species one would observe
elsewhere in west Wash or Oreg.
.................One large RUFFLED GROUSE strutted in fron of me on the
road, an d an immature-plumaged ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK soared and hovered
over the field.. OREGON JUNCOS;STELLERS JAYS; WHITE-BREASTED
NUTTHATCHES; MARSH WREN;WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW; 1 WESTERN TANAGER;
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS; 2 BELTED KINGFISHERS---in an otherwise very quiet
locale. Deet tracks on the path; herds of elk in the fields south of the
lake,; a small snale on the path; and.....what else I may have
missed---a peaceful place the soothe the frazzled nerves.

..............Cheers......Gerald Hamilton
Brush Prairie, Wash.
geralf at e-z.net