Hi Tweets

A group from East Lake Washington Audubon took a trip down to Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, and Clark Counties on this last weekend. On Saturday we drove thru the showers and spray down I-5 to Kelso, then out SR 4 to the Julia Butler Hansen NWR just west of Cathlamet. The rain had pretty much stopped when we pulled into the headquarters parking lot. A MARSH WREN was singing as we stepped out of the cars. A quick scan showed MALLARDS, AMERICAN WIGEON, AMERICAN COOT, KILLDEER, BALD EAGLE, TREE SWALLOW, VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW, a single NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW, GREAT BLUE HERON, and STELLER'S JAY. A large flock of calling CACKLING GEESE flew overhead, their high-pitched calls attracting us. As we drove around the loop road we saw CANADA GOOSE, NORTHERN PINTAIL, GADWALL, RING-NECKED DUCK, GREATER and LESSER SCAUP, COMMON GOLDENEYE, BUFFLEHEAD, and COMMON MERGANSER. A PIED-BILLED GREBE was in one of the ponds, and WESTERN GREBE were present in the back-channel of the Columbia River. Several NORTHERN HARRIERs were over the fields. A BELTED KINGFISHER was waiting for a fish to show up. SONG and GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWs were present in the roses and Red-twig Dogwood along the road edges as was an occasional RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET. Lots of AMERICAN ROBINS and EUROPEAN STARLINGS were scattered about the refuge. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS were conk-er-reeing away and the females were exploring old cattails for nesting material. We had a few GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLs and hybrids, and argued over whether one had black enough primary tips and a dark enough back to be a WESTERN GULL. There were a couple of DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS.

A highlight was when we spotted two WHITE-TAILED KITES perched across the fields. They alternated in flying out from the tree, hovering and looking for prey, dropping almost all the way to the ground and then returning to their perch. These were distant, but decent scope views. Finally one repeatedly hunted and made a complete drop into the grass. It then came up and circled several times. It then came flying directly toward us, finally passing directly overhead and giving us superb views its black-and-white plumage patterns, its eyes and of the mouse it caught clutched tightly underneath. WOW!

We continued our loop, seeing more of the same ducks. At a stop near the forest we had a perched DOWNY WOODPECKER, heard a NORTHERN FLICKER and WINTER WREN. We made a lunch stop at Skamokawa Vista Park. We saw more WESTERN GREBES, and MEW GULLS.

As we returned toward Longview, we made a quick detour into Cathlamet seeing WESTERN SCRUB-JAY, and HOUSE SPARROW. We did not see the Rock Pigeons that are sometimes reported.

In the afternoon we went back to I-5 and down to the Vancouver area. We stopped at Vancouver Lake, seeing WESTERN GREBE, and RING-BILLED GULL. Leaving Vancouver Lake County Park we scanned the Heronery in the trees to the west. A short way up the road we had BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEEs and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERs in the trees, and an interesting chip note alongside the road. We successfully pulled in an absolutely perfect white-stripe WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. The bird was in the brightest, most crisp plumage possible with black-and- white head stripes, a bright white throat, bright yellow lores and a rich reddish and darker brown and black striping on the back. As we worked our way up the Edwin O. Rieger Memorial Highway (a misnomer if there ever was one), we saw RED-TAILED HAWK, a pair of AMERICAN KESTREL, and a field filled with GREAT EGRETs and SANDHILL CRANES in the Shillapoo Wildlife Area. We returned back to NW Lower River Road and scanned the opposite side of the Shillapoo area. We had more RED-TAILED HAWKs and AMERICAN KESTRELs. At one point several AMERICAN ROBINS were in the road accompanied by a couple of bright VARIED THRUSHes. Several of the fields had CANADA GEESE, and we got some very satisfying looks at closer SANDHILL CRANES including a couple of brief dancing episodes. ROCK PIGEONs were near the dairy farms and one mixed flock of RED-WINGED and BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS, EUROPEAN STARLINGs and BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDs.

We stayed the night in Woodland and rose early on Sunday to go out to Ridgefield NWR. We went thru several fog patches and arrived to find the refuge socked. We were joined by Bob Flores and we stood around waiting for the fog to lift. A RING-NECKED PHEASANT was heard in the distance. As we started our loop thru the River S unit we heard CACKLING GOOSE overhead. The first pond had MALLARD, RING-NECKED DUCK, AMERICAN COOT, and a lone male WOOD DUCK apparently courting a female Ring-necked. In other ponds, thru the lightening fog we saw CINNAMON TEAL, GADWALL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, AMERICAN WIGEON, NORTHERN PINTAIL, NORTHERN SHOVELER, HOODED MERGANSER, PIED-BILLED GREBE, GREAT BLUE HERON, RED-TAILED HAWK, BALD EAGLE. A most cooperative WILSON'S SNIPE roosted on the edge of a canal and opened one eye as we watched. We ran across a couple of mixed feeding flocks of small birds and saw BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, BROWN CREEPER, WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, and a ton of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERs. At the blind, thru the still-lingering fog we could make out MALLARD, NORTHERN SHOVELER, LESSER SCAUP, GADWALL. An accipiter bolted away thru the trees. A RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER perched on an Oregon Ash, and even in bad light was identifiable.

Elsewhere on the refuge we saw TUNDRA SWAN, KILLDEER, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, and SANDHILL CRANES. Many WESTERN SCRUB-JAYs were present, and in the blackberry clumps we had SONG, FOX, SAVANNAH, AND GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWs. A BEWICK'S WREN and RUBY-CROWNED and GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS flitted about, and a flock of BUSHTITs worked thru a shrub. SPOTTED TOWHEEs and many DARK-EYED JUNCOs were seen, including one very nice SLATE-COLORED race. A ROUGH-WINGED HAWK gave us very nice looks. A NORTHERN SHRIKE flew across a canal, and when we looked more closely there were a pair of GREAT HORNED OWLS. Several Short-eared Owls were seen. The highlight was probably when Tom Mansfield asked "what is that hawk overhead?" It was a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK circling up in great light with the white crescent-shaped windows in the tips of the wings visible, the nicely banded tail and as it turned the red shoulders. According to Bob this was a late bird, and the find of the day.

At other times during the trip we found VIRGINIA RAIL, PILEATED WOODPECKER, CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, AMERICAN PIPIT, a TOWNSEND'S WARBLER was heard, HOUSE FINCH, PINE SISKIN, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH and HOUSE SPARROW.

The weather worked out well for us with sun in the afternoons and nice temperatures. This was a great trip with lots of super views of very nice birds. We ended up with 93 species for the two days.

As Marv Breece would say - they were two very nice days!

Brian H. Bell
Woodinville WA
mail to bell asoc at isomedia dot com