Today (12/16) I found a Lesser Goldfinch in Two Rivers County Park. It was
a male bird, considerably brighter than any American Goldfinch present. I
originally observed the bird high in the White Alders that are along the
Nature Trail about midway between the lagoon and the boat launch described
in the directions below. Once Ray Johnson joined me, we relocated the bird
and had an up-close underside view showing bright yellow - throat to
undertail. The black cap is full and obvious.

Directions (taken from the Lower Columbia Basin webpage): From the east end
of SR 240 at its intersection with US 395 and Columbia Dr. travel east on
Columbia Dr. approximately 1.5 mi. to Elm St. / SR 397. Turn right onto SR
397 going south approximately two miles to Finley Rd. Turn left onto Finley
Rd. (east) at 1.3 mi. After crossing Haney Rd. and passing the end of the US
Corps of Engineers dike, the entrance road to the main parking lot and
landscaped portion of Two Rivers County Park will be 0.1 of a mile on your
left. A second parking lot abuts Finley Rd. at the west end of the nature
trail and the southeast corner of the lagoon. The entrance to the boat
launch parking lot is at the east end of the nature trail 0.6 mile beyond
the second parking lot.

Key to finding this bird is to locate the alders and birches and the flocks
of American Goldfinches that use them. These trees are somewhat isolated
and near the river.

Nancy

Bill and Nancy LaFramboise
Richland WA