Anne Kahle and myself birded the Columbia River in Skamania County today in
the rain and hail and almost snow with a few note worthy birds. Places
visited were St. Cloud Rec. Area, Franz Lake NWR, Sams - Walker Rec. Area,
Skamania Landing, Hamilton Island, Bonneville Dam, Stevenson, Wind River
mouth, Drano Lake, Spring Creek Fish Hatchery, Underwood, and Lava Creek
north of Willard.

Birds of note are:

2 White-fronted Geese at Stevenson
1 Pacific Loon at Wind River mouth just north of Hwy 14
1 Great Egret 50 feet up in a tree at Skamania Landing with a Great Blue
Heron below it in a small pond
1 Sharp-shinned Hawk at Sams - Walker Rec. Area just west of Skamania
Landing
1 Cooper's Hawk at Underwood trying to dry out on top of an Oak
20 Bonoaparte's Gulls below Bonneville Dam (northmost dam)
1 ad. Thayer's Gull below Bonneville Dam - may be same bird I observed at
Stevenson on Nov. 4, 2006
1 Pileated Woodpecker at Stevenson water-front
1 American Dipper at Wind River mouth just north of Hwy. 14 - never seen
down along the Columbia River in this area before.

Got home and turned around back to Washougal sewer ponds and saw the
Long-tailed Duck before dark. Thanks to Wilson Cady for leaving me a
message.

We ended up with 61 species for the day just in Skamania County. Not bad
for 5 hours of birding.


Ken Knittle
Washington Birder newsletter
2604 NE 80th Street
Vancouver, WA 98665
360-574-2590
mailto:washingtonbirder "at" hotmail.com