Subject: [Tweeters] Vancouver: Strongly Albanistic Cackling Goose + Sauvie
Date: Mar 6 20:44:16 2007
From: Bill Clemons - willclemons at yahoo.com





Today was looking so beautiful that I decided to go
birding.

I went first to Sauvie Island, primarily to look at
Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes. Both are still there
in large numbers (over a thousand Snows, and hundreds
of Sandhills). Virtually all the Snow Geese were at
the viewing platform on Reeder Rd, as were most of the
Sandhill Cranes.

COMMON TEAL: This well marked drake was along
Rentenaar Rd on the N side of the road at the first
sheet water on a somewhat open field. It was very
loosely associated with several other Green-winged
Teal, a few Pintail and some Mallards, though the
drake and a hen were clearly together and more on
there own than in a group. My thanks go to Gerry
Kazda (spelling?), who told me about this drake when I
met him at the viewing platform.

HORNED GREBE: This bird was in the marina on the
Columbia off of Reeder Road.

GREAT HORNED OWL: This Owl was on a nest well S of
the viewing platform.

I gave the Black Phoebe a chance at the previously
reported spot on Gillihan Rd near Reeder Road, but
failed to see it.

At Vancouver Lake Park I saw two WHITE-THROATED
SPARROWS. Both were white striped. I also saw a
female Downy Woodpecker there that I assume had
recently molted her tail as it was a mere stub.

There was a Strongly ALBINISTIC CACKLING GOOSE in the
first water you come to after turning off of W 4th
Plain Blvd and onto NW Lower River Road. This Goose
was Quite a surprise. I was parked on the shoulder
scanning about a thousand Geese on the water and its
edging. As I decided to drive on toward Vancouver
Lake Park, I had pud down my binoculars and begun to
move when I for some reason glanced once again and
thought I saw a white goose. Thinking I might have a
lone Ross's Goose I turned around and backtracked. I
was blown away when I saw a WHITE CACKLER. The bird
is not totally white. Its entire body is nearly
completely white with just a few tinges of Brown. Its
legs are Brown. Its entire neck and head are a Medium
Brown (a more coffee than milk brown), yet it still
has a White Cheek Patch. What a sight!


Complete list:


Sauvie Is.
Vancouver Lk.
HORNED GREBE X
Double-crested Cormorant X
Great Blue Heron X X
Great Egret X X
SNOW GOOSE X
Cackling Goose X
X
Canada Goose X X
Tundra Swan X
Gadwall X
American Wigeon X X
Mallard X
X
Northern Shoveler X X
Northern Pintail X
Green-winged Teal X
COMMON TEAL X
REDHEAD X
Ring-necked Duck X X
Lesser Scaup X X
Bufflehead X X
Bald Eagle X X
Northern Harrier X X
Cooper's Hawk X
Red-tailed Hawk X X
American Kestrel X
American Coot X X
SANDHILL CRANE X X
Killdeer X
X
Gull (Species) X
X
Rock Pigeon X X
Great Horned Owl X (on nest)
Belted Kingfisher X
Downy Woodpecker X
Northern Flicker X X
Western Scrub-Jay X X
American Crow X X
TREE SWALLOW X
Black-capped Chickadee X X
Red-breasted Nuthatch X
White-breasted Nuthatch X
Brown Creeper X
American Robin X X
European Starling X X
Spotted Towhee X X
Song Sparrow X X
White-throated Sparrow X
White-crowned Sparrow X
Golden-crowned Sparrow X X
Red-winged Blackbird X X
Brewer's Blackbird X X
House Finch X X
House Sparrow X

Bill Clemons
SW of Portland in Mtn Park
Willclemons AT Yahoo dot com










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