Hello Tweets,

Today we ventured south and spent an enjoyable day birding in Wahkiakum Co. with a successful time getting all our target species. The weather was beautiful with clear skies and temperatures in the 40's with nice landscape views of snow-covered hills north of Hwy.4 and calm conditions along the Columbia River. We birded primarily along the Hwy.4 corridor by beginning on Puget Island then continuing west to the Juliet Butler Hansen NWR and eventually working our way to the waterfront community of Altoona that lies near Grays Bay. After scoping the waters of Grays Bay thoroughly during outgoing tide we made a last minute,but successful attempt for White-tailed Kite near the town of Skamokawa. It was a great day in Wahkiakum Co. and filled with many highlights to be listed below. Our visits to the Juliet Butler Hansen NWR was quite slow,where we made the entire outer drive loop with good concentrations of Cackling Geese noted from several grassy areas. We estimated 800-900 Cackling Geese including 2 birds of the "Dusky" subspecies. Our afternoon visit to Grays Bay was quite productive with good numbers of waterfowl that added to our waterfowl list of 20 species for the day. Additionally a good assortment of other species were noted here,as increasing amounts of mudflats occured. We have placed several new photos onto our website from a few of our highlights noted today,which can be accessed at the following link: http://www.pbase.com/godwit/december05photos/ An added list of our highlights while birding Wahkiakum Co. include the following:

Red-throated Loon
3 at Grays Bay

EARED GREBE
1 at Grays Bay

Western Grebe
12+ at Grays Bay

Pelagic Cormorant(locally uncommon)
4 at Grays Bay

GREAT EGRET
1 foraging along the north shoreline at Grays Bay

Canvasback
4 amongst a large scaup flock of Grays Bay

LONG-TAILED DUCK
1 pair amongst a large scaup flock at Grays Bay

White-winged Scoter
5 birds(with 38 Surf Scoters)at Grays Bay

Red-breasted Merganser
1 at Grays Bay

WHITE-TAILED KITE
1 adult bird observed approximately 1 mile north of Hwy.4 along Skamokawa Valley Rd.

Am.Kestrel
4 at Puget Island
3 at the Juliet Butler Hansen NWR
1 along Hwy.4 at Skamokawa
1 along Hwy.4 near Rosburg

Black-bellied Plover
20+ at Grays Bay

Sanderling
20 on mudflat "islands" at Grays Bay

Dunlin
250+ at Grays Bay

Bonaparte's Gull
1 at Grays Bay

Northern Pygmy Owl
1 perched atop an evergreen tree along Hwy.4 at MP 23.8(east of Km Mtn.)

BARRED OWL
1 cooperative bird along Altoona-Pillar Rock Rd.

Red-breasted Sapsucker
1 near Altoona

Western Scrub Jay
15 at Puget Island
4 at Cathlamet

Hermit Thrush
1 near Altoona

COMMON YELLOWTHROAT(noteworthy for date)
1 bird along Skamokawa Valley Rd.

WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
1 at Puget Island

"Slate-colored"Junco
1 at Puget Island

Western Meadowlark
15 at Puget Island
2 at the Juliet Butler Hansen NWR


In addition to a wonderful birding day in Wahkiakum Co. we encountered a few mammals for the day,of which highlights included the following:

1 MINK at the Juliet Butler Hansen NWR
3-4 River Otters along Hwy.4 at the mouth Germany Creek(in Cowlitz Co.)


Our only other bird species of the day to note not encountered anywhere else during the day included a Merlin along Hwy.4 at Longview en route to Puget Island.



Good birding,

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