Hello Tweets and other birders,

The Black Phoebe was again observed this morning at Vancouver Lake Park between 10:30am-11am,where it remained very active "flycatching" and calling from the main restroom area north to the playground area. The bird was initially located immediately upon our arrival,as it foraged mainly by itself calling constantly and moving from tree to tree,as it continued northward. The bird was noted only briefly atop a locked restroom facility south of the playground area before flying high to the north then eventually cutting over and continuing westward over S.R.501. We visited the location 2 additional times after 11:30am,but the Black Phoebe was not seen again and windy conditions prevailed coming from the southeast over Vancouver Lake. We obtained several photographs of the Black Phoebe, of which 6 photos can be viewed at our website at the following link: http://www.pbase.com/godwit/current/

A few other noteworthy species noted from Vancouver Lake Park included the following:

5 Horned Grebes
35 Common Mergansers
8 Ruddy Ducks
2 California Gulls(with several Ring-billed and Mew Gulls)
12 Tree Swallows
15+ Western Scrub Jays
2 Brown Creepers
1 Hermit Thrush
25+ Yellow-rumped Warblers(along with both species of kinglets)
1 adult White-throated Sparrow



In addition to the Black Phoebe my mother and I checked a few other nearby locations(as conditions remained great with bright sunny skies)including along S.R.501 at the Shillapoo Wildlife Area,then a short visit made along Lower River Rd. to Post Office Lake. Highlights from these locations included the following species:

10 Great Egrets
10 Tundra Swans(Post Office Lake)
5,000+ Cackling Geese
15 Ruddy Ducks
15 Bald Eagles
3 Northern Harriers
1 Sharp-shinned Hawk
5 Am.Kestrels
10 Sandhill Cranes
1 Pileated Woodpecker
5 Tree Swallows
1 Barn Swallow
1 adult Northern Shrike
8 Western Meadowlarks
15 Brown-headed Cowbirds(with good numbers of Brewer's Blackbirds)


On our way home we checked the Dike Access Rd. area near Woodland in Cowlitz Co. including stops made at Horseshoe Lake along Dike and Whalen Rds. Notable species located along this route included the following:

8 Western Grebes
1 Great Egret
1 female Long-tailed Duck(observed amongst good numbers of both Lesser and Greater Scaups along the Columbia River along Dike Rd.)
2 Northern Harriers
1 Cooper's Hawk
4 Am.Kestrels
700+ Sandhill Cranes
3 Herring Gulls
2 Thayer's Gulls
5 Western Meadowlarks


Mammal highlights of the day included the following:

1 Coyote at the Shillapoo Wildlife Area with 1 also noted along Dike Rd. near Woodland.



Good birding,

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