Tom Mansfield and I birded Klickitat County on Saturday and Skamania County on Sunday. Here are some of the highlights:



Klickitat Co:

wetlands south of Centerville and west of Dalles Mt. Rd. were Long-billed Curlews, Dunlin, and Greater Yellowlegs--this wetlands should be checked during spring migration for odd shorebirds which aren't all that easy in Klickitat Co.



Goldendale had 3 Eurasian Collared-Doves on Friday. And the next day 1 Lesser Goldfinch was observed in Goldendale-quite aways from the Columbia River where they are more expected.



At Maryhill State Park was another Eurasian Collared-Dove in the campground and a calling Canyon Wren on the rock cliffs near the entrance to the park.



Six Prong Rd. was very windy which continued through out the day and kept the birds hunkered down. However we did see 1 Loggerhead Shrike on Six Prong Rd. and north on Sandridge Rd. we had Sage Sparrow and Sage Thrasher almost in the same sage bush. This is the nice patch of Sage just south of Blue Light.



At Conboy NWR were dancing Sandhill Cranes which seemed not to mind us watching. These cranes were very rusty brown in color unlike the normal wintering ones seen at Ridgefield NWR. A few Cackling Geese were observed north of Kreps Lane on the southern parts of the refuge. Trout Lake was pretty quiet--looked like winter was still around and not much bird life as is normally there.



The Anna's Hummingbird male was still sitting on top of his tree north of Lyle where he was 2 weeks earlier.



The rock cliffs west of Avery and just west of the local winery had a colony of White-throated Swifts chasing each other across the cliff face.



Sunday was raining most of the morning. Skamania County is much tougher than Klickitat County and with the rain it made it even harder to dig out any good birds. The cemetery in Underwood hosted an Anna's Hummingbird. At Spring Creek Hatchery our first of many Orange-crowned Warblers. A Common Yellowthroat called from the wetlands at Home Valley and another was seen in North Bonneville. Western Meadowlarks were on the grassy field west of the ball fields in North Bonneville. Meadowlarks aren't as common in Skamania Co. as most of the other counties in Washington. We stopped at Wilson Cady's feeders where he is fattening up the Band-tailed Pigeons with corn, one of their favorite foods.


Ken Knittle
Vancouver WA 98665
mailto:washingtonbirder at hotmail.com
Washington Birder online
http://www.wabirder.com/