Dan Stephens and I birded Cowlitz County today (May 16). Places birded were Woodland area (South Pekin Rd., Lewis River mouth, Lyons Day Park), Willow Grove, and Silver Lake where we just checked the lake out briefly. Started the day out along S. Pekin Road where a Chipping Sparrow was seen in a raspberry patch along with many White-crowned Sparrows. At the end of the road is a boat launch where several Spotted Sandpipers, several Bank Swallows, a pair of Rough-winged Swallows were spotted. No shorebirds were seen in the nearby dairy lagoon which was pretty full and not much room along the shoreline for peeps.

We had just crossed under the railroad tracks heading west along the Lewis River when we heard a Yellow-breasted Chat vocalizing non-stop. We stopped briefly at several spots along the Lewis River hoping to hear more Chats, but didn't. Instead just before the mouth of the river Dan spotted a Great-tailed Grackle fly across the river from Clark County into Cowlitz County. It flew into a private resort/boat launch area. We stopped, paid our $3 for parking, and spent almost 2 hours searching for it only to hear it and not see it again. There is a camper in the far corner which said he feeds the California Quail. We thought this might be attracting the grackle, but while we were there only Brown-headed Cowbirds were picking up the cracked corn. Other birds there (on the trails which run back into the woods and out to the actual mouth of the Lewis River were: 1 Ruffed Grouse, several calling California Quail, 1 Willow Flycatcher, Pacific-slope Flycatchers, 4 Western Kingbirds just north of this spot, 1 Hutton's Vireo, Swainson's Thrushes, Yellow and Wilson's Warblers were thick as were Black-headed Grosbeaks, several Bullock's Orioles and the Great-tailed Grackle.

A quick stop at Lyon's Day Park produced more House Wrens, more California Quail, 7 Turkey Vultures eating on dead fish and 1 Great Egret.

At Willow Grove west of Longview produced Purple Martins at the martin gourds hanging along the road, Marsh Wren, and 3 more Western Kingbirds along Barlow Point Road.

Silver Lake produced Townsend's Warbler, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Marsh Wren, Common Yellowthroats, and a Western Tanager.


Ken Knittle
Washington Birder newsletter
2604 NE 80th Street
Vancouver, WA 98665
360-574-2590
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