Hi Tweeters,

While driving down I-5, I have often eye-balled the Vanport Wetlands between the Expo buildings and the Portland International Raceway, just across the border in northern Portland. My wife and I drove down to the Antique Expo this morning, which is located just north of the wetlands. While she browsed the antiques, I walked a circuit around the wetlands, (the area is protected and off-limits to the public). Visibility into the marsh is best on the southern side, although longer views are also possible from the side walk on the eastern side. Although there was a lot of exposed mud flats, the only shorebird in evidence were lots of KILLDEER. Other species include: 1 A. KESTREL, 1 SORA, a brief view of a flying A. BITTERN before it landed in the reeds and vanished, 1 RED-TAILED HAWK, lots of A. COOTS and their young (cootlings?), many MALLARDS and C. GEESE, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, MARSH WREN, and a few of the more common passerine species. It looks like a great location for !
shorebi
rds during migration. While walking north back to the Expo area, I saw a huge plume of smoke over one of the mountains to the north. I really thought that it was Mt. St. Helens erupting, but it apparently is a large wild fire on Mt. Adams. I eventually returned to the antique show; my wife was still only in the first building.

Good birding,

Lonnie Somer
Olympia, WA
wheelermombi at comcast.net