Friday Dec. 4, 2009 Tom Mansfield and I headed east out of Vancouver. We stopped several places in Skamania County looking for Hutton?s Vireo and owls. One stop was productive near Beacon Rock on Kueffler Rd. where we had Pileated Woodpecker and Northern Pygmy-Owl. We never could get a Hutton?s to respond.

Next stop was below the John Day Dam where chumming did not produce any gulls and we noted only a few gulls hanging out with the cormorants and none of the rarities such as Black-footed Kittiwake and Lesser Black-backed Gull, which had been recently seen.

We wanted to get into Franklin County for the last part of the day so few stops until we got there. Near Sacajawea State Park entrance a flock of Tundra Swans came flying up the Columbia River calling. We found lots of American White Pelicans below Ice Harbor Dam.

Sat. Dec. 5 between Connell and Kohlotus near dawn was 1 Prairie Falcon. We met Mike and MerryLynn Denny at Lyons Ferry marina, which is in Columbia Co. A Canyon Wren was checking out all the boats at the marina apparently for food. It did not look right to see this wren in such habitat so far away from a rock. At the mouth of the Tucannon River was a small flock of Common Goldeneyes, 1 female Greater Scaup and a Marsh Wren. We headed to Little Goose Dam. The only owls were Great Horned, even though Barn Owls are seen along the rocky cliffs enroute to the dam. Chumming for gulls produced the normal gulls, but nothing else.

Later that afternoon we birded the Dayton Cemetery where a Barn Owl and Townsend?s Solitaire showed themselves. Dayton has lots of Mountain Ash, but no birds such as Bohemian Waxwings or Blue Jays could we find. Dayton has produced both in previous years. Heading south of Dayton the Dennys knew where Pygmy and Saw-whet Owls hang out and we were able to get both along with 100?s of Wild Turkeys and 2 Golden Eagles. We searched for Ruffed Grouse, but came up empty. Later on Sunday morning we did have a Ruffed Grouse fly across the road.

Temperatures ranged from 14 to 32 degrees for us through out the weekend. Not much wind until Sat. night and Sunday morning. We really appreciated Mike and MerryLynn?s help. They are the top birders in Columbia County and know it best of anyone birdwise.


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