Subject: [Tweeters] Red-shouldered Hawk
Date: Dec 31 19:20:28 2005
From: Geopandion at aol.com - Geopandion at aol.com


Tweeters,

My wife, Eva, and I just returned from a 3-day visit to Portland. Enroute
we detoured onto US 12 and then headed south turning onto Albany St. in
Rochester about 5 miles west of Interstate 5. Albany St. turns into Independence
St. We took this route because Andy and Ellen Stepniewski had located a
White-tailed Kite at mp 9 on Lincoln Creek Rd a bit farther south. About 4 miles
farther along Independence Rd. we spotted an adult Red-shouldered Hawk.
This site is on Delorme page 45 where Thurston, Grays Harbor, and Lewis Counties
come together. Van Dyke road joins Independence Rd at this point. Several
creeks converge and there is ample riparian habitat and some tall Cottonwoods
along the creek. The hawk was on the east side of Independence when we first
spotted it. It later flew farther east and was visible from Van Dyke Road.
We were able to get several digi-scope photos. Continuing south we found a
single White-tailed Kite at mile post 9 in a large open field. (Thanks to
Andy and Ellen)! Another detour onto Dike Access Road at Woodland was also
productive. We counted 25 Great Egrets along the 5 miles or so of farmland.
It was nearly 3:30 pm by this time, and a cloud of 500-600 Sandhill Cranes
flying along the Columbia capped off a very nice journey to Portland. On the
way back from Portland this morning we re-traced our path around Dike Access
Road and found 200+ Sandhill Cranes feeding in the farm fields along with
thousands of Canada Geese, scores of Cackling Geese, and the 25 Great Egrets,
again. The Red-shouldered Hawk was seen about noon on December 29th. Happy New
Year and good birding in 2006!!

Eva and George Gerdts
_geopandion at aol.com_ (mailto:geopandion at aol.com)
Bainbridge Island, WA