Nov. 30 I again tried for the Prairie Falcon. This time I was very close,
but not close enough. I spotted a medium sized falcon about 2/3 of the way
down the last straight stretch near the end of the loop when I spotted this
medium falcon a long way off sitting in a tree. There was no way to get
closer to ID this bird. I hoped it would fly, but it didn't while I was
waiting for it. It was either a Peregrine or Prairie. So far away I could
not get any color on it.

Other birds found include:
3 Cinnamon Teals in water on left shortly after beginning the loop--the
water has lots of dead snags in it. The teal were 10 feet from the road.
23.5 Red-tailed Hawks
1 White-tailed Kite at the normal spot at the southern end of the loop where
you leave the water.
1 Harlan's Red-tailed Hawk just past the Kite. It even caught a small
rodent in the road in front of me.
2 Virginia Rails 1/4 mile after leaving trees. Very vocal. In this same
area I was told there was a White-crowned Sparrow, not the normal race that
usually shows up, but I couldn't find it.
1 (Slender-billed) White-breasted Nuthatch in the trees associating with a
flock of Golden-crowned Kinglets.

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