Thanks, Wilson, for your guidance today, the good tips for other birders
in Skamania, and the great post. Although you are so modest you forgot
to mention that when we returned to Marble Road to try for the owls at
sunset, you actually got your county lifer Snipe since we had
approximately 15 fly over in groups of 2/3/4. A weird location for so
many Snipe but a great day for all three of us. Alas, we could not find
the Barn Owl that we "knew" was there so, for me, one bird to go!

Tom Mansfield in Vancouver (tonight)

-----Original Message-----
From: tweeters-bounces at mailman2.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman2.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Wilson
Cady
Sent: Saturday, November 28, 2009 8:02 PM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: [Tweeters] Skamania County Birding


I spent today birding Skamania County with Tom Mansfield and Ken
Knittle as Tom worked on his county list. Our first edition to his list
came shortly after they picked me up in the morning when we found
Slender-billed WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH on Marble Road only about a half
of a mile into Skamania County. We stopped along Highway 14 at Cape Horn
and within minutes of playing it's call a PEREGRINE FALCON cruised
overhead for Tom's county lifer #2. At the Franz Lake NWR overlook there
were at least seven noisy TRUMPETER SWANS right along the lake edge
below us. We had picked this bird up here last year so though rare in
the county it was not an addition to his list. While I was watching
these squabbling swans Tom spotted a skinny white bird on the far
shore, a GREAT EGRET for #3. Near the restroom on Highway 14 at Beacon
Rock State Park, a CANYON WREN responded from only a few yards away to a
played call (#4).
We drove through the town of North Bonneville finding a
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, a nice county bird but not new for his list.
Here both Tom and Ken saw a WILSON'S SNIPE flyover, a bird that Tom had
seen in county before but new for Ken. I did not get on this bird in
time which would have been a county lifer for me. Bonneville Dam had a
WESTERN MEADOWLARK and a few gulls but no additions to the list. Rock
Creek and the pond on Ryan-Allen Road produced nothing new and the mouth
of the Wind River while fairly birdy added no new birds. There were
small flocks of ducks on the Columbia River all the way to the Spring
Creek Fish Hatchery at the Klickitat County line but there was nothing
other than the usual species including many COMMON and BARROW'S
GOLDENEYE. We drove down the road leading to Spring Creek Hatchery and
found no new birds until we reached the gate and started to make a
u-turn when Ken spotted a female RED-BREASTED MERGANSER (#5) next to
shore. We drove up to Underwood and followed the road back through
Willard to Highway 14 without adding any birds to the list. In Underwood
we did have a small flock of CALIFORNIA QUAIL at a feeder along Cooper
Road.
Running low on daylight we headed back West checking spots we had
passed over on the way upstream including the lake area north of
Bonneville Dam without adding anything. We decide to check the open
fields along Marble Road for species such as Northern Harrier and
Short-eared or Barn Owls in the fading light. When we got back to my
house we played the call of a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL to see if we could
elicit a response from my resident birds. The owl only gave one call
note and then flew across our deck and fluttered against the dining room
window for #6. Tom and Ken then headed back out in hopes of finding a
Barn Owl for Tom's 150th Skamania County bird.

Wilson Cady
Washougal, WA


____________________________________________________________
Culinary Arts Schools
Earn your Culinary Degree at a college near you. Get info and apply!
http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/c?cp=25DGe-sJpouIRqwJMDlefwAAJ1
Af3IvMi6Mtlwa2MO7vQOwHAAQAAAAFAAAAAM3MTD4AAAMlAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABNlkgAAAA
A=
_______________________________________________
Tweeters mailing list
Tweeters at u.washington.edu
http://mailman2.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters


This electronic message contains information from the law firm of K&L Gates LLP. The contents may be privileged and confidential and are intended for the use of the intended addressee(s) only. If you are not an intended addressee, note that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or use of the contents of this message is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please contact me at tom.mansfield at klgates.com.