Tweets, Dave Annonen and I birded Saturday in the Woodland area, inspired by
Wilson Cady's report two weeks ago. From the Dike Road we found the SANDHILL
CRANES in large numbers. At the extremity of the CACKLING GOOSE flock was a
single GR WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. Further south (just past the big farm house
complex on the left) we started encountering ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKs
hover-hunting in the steady north breeze (total of 4-5). We watched two hunt
and stoop in tandem, seeming right over a group of cranes--perhaps spotting
rodents stirred up by their foraging. In the SE corner were ~20 C RAVENS.
Following SR503 up the Lewis River, we stopped at the fish hatchery at the
upper end of Merwin Lake: 2 BALD EAGLES, 22 C MERGANSERS, scads of DC
CORMORANTS, 1 DIPPER, 1 (late?) SPOTTED SANDPIPER. Looked like spawning
Sockeye Salmon in the stream, but I don't know my salmon very well.
Beautiful weather! Good birding!
--Paul Hicks / Tenino / phicks AT accessgrace.org