I spent Saturday, Sept. 30, at the Ridgefield NWR enjoying the
last day that you can get out of your vehicle on the River "S" Unit until
May 1, 2007. There were few shorebirds on Rest Lake represented only by
37 KILLDEER, 6 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, LEAST SANDPIPERS, 1 PECTORAL SANDPIPER
and a small group of LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS. The WHITE-TAILED KITE was
still perching in the snag in the marsh to the right of the observation
blind and the RED-SHOULDERED HAWK was in the ash forest leading to the
blind. The trees around this location were great for passerines there
were several RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS and numerous GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS
in with dozens of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and a single WESTERN TANAGER.
Both this ash forest and the one further along the auto tour route
produced WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHES.
My biggest surprise came when I drove the Auto Tour route the
second time and encountered a (the?) BLACKPOLL WARBLER sitting in the
middle of the road with a flock of Yellow-rumps working low in the bushes
next to it. After a few seconds it flew up into the trees and I had to
move my vehicle to let the cars stacked up behind me get past. I spent
the next hour searching along the road for the bird but was unable to
relocate it most likely due to the constant motion of the leaves from a
steady wind that was blowing.
Other species seen included 1 RING-NECKED PHEASANT (a bird that
I haven't seen there for several years), 50+ SANDHILL CRANES and a
GREAT-HORNED OWL.

Wilson Cady
Washougal, WA