Saturday I birded the River "S" Unit at Ridgefield NWR (~4mi W of I-5 at Exit 14 in SW Washington; http://www.fws.gov/ridgefieldrefuges/ ). I was joined, before noon, by Carol Ledford. We birded together for the balance of the day, and also used 2-way radios to stay in contact with Clay Davis.

Highlights:

SNOW GOOSE: Most of the time, SNOW GEESE are at Sauvie Island. I was attending a meeting this am at the Cathlapotle Plankhouse (Carty Unit), and just before it began at 9:30, there were about 200 SNOW GEESE that flew over. Nice treat, as Ridgefield does not get too many of them.

NORTHERN SHRIKE: This cute little predator is still hanging around on the SE and E side of the loop road. It is moving around a lot more now, and while it can easily be missed, it is usually perched atop some brush or fence post and hiding in plain sight.

HARLAN'S RED-TAILED HAWK: We saw it flying, banking and gliding over Schwartz Lake. We saw it land in "The Three Trees" on the E side of Rest lake, and later on a small shrub atom the dike, where it seemed totally unconcerned while it was being harassed by a NORTHERN HARRIER that at least three times came within a foot of its head. It was interesting to watch it hold its perch, when it Quickly yields its perch and entire tree to any BALD EAGLE that presses it.

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


Complete list of 60 species seen / heard:

Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
SNOW GOOSE (~200 in fly over at Carty Unit Plankhouse)
Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
TUNDRA SWAN (2 on S Quigley, 7 on Kiwa, 17 in fly over)
Wood Duck (3 pair on Bull lake)
Gadwall
Mallard
CINNAMON TEAL (1 pair on Rest Lake)
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail (not to many left)
Green-winged Teal (a handful)
CANVASBACK (1 pair on Rest Lake)
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
HOODED MERGANSER (several pair on the water control canal)
COMMON MERGANSER (1 pair on Lake River)
Ruddy Duck
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
COOPER'S HAWK (in Bachelor Island Wetland tree N of The Blind)
Red-tailed Hawk
HARLAN'S RED-TAILED HAWK (E side of loop, flying and perched)
DARK PHASE RED-TAILED HAWK (N & E of The Blind)
American Kestrel
American Coot
SANDHILL CRANE (heard several, saw 13 in fly over)
Killdeer
Gull (Species)
Mourning Dove
Great Horned Owl (3 seen)
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
NORTHERN SHRIKE (E side of loop between Roth Unit & entrance kiosk)
Steller's Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow
VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW (dozens near entrance and S Quigley lake)
Black-capped Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch (heard only, entrance canyon)
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Bewick's Wren
Winter Wren (seen & heard, entrance canyon)
Marsh Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
HERMIT THRUSH (seen near top of entrance canyon)
American Robin
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Pine Siskin (entrance canyon)




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