Hi Tweets

As a conclusion to the Washington Ornithological Society Conference this last weekend in Kelso, we started our Going Home W trip yesterday at Seaquest State Park in Cowlitz County. We began in the upper park since the fog was over Silver Lake. With the sun just hitting the tree tops we had good birding activity, hearing GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, BROWN CREEPER, RED CROSSBILL (with very brief views), and EVENING GROSBEAK. We thought we had a perched grosbeak, but it turned out to be an AMERICAN ROBIN in the early morning yellowish light. But then, a couple of grosbeaks did perch in sight. A BEWICK'S WREN sounded off, and a WINTER WREN snuck thru the undergrowth. We had AMERICAN CROW and a COMMON RAVEN sounded off. A VARIED THRUSH was heard in the distance.

A bit later, we moved down to the area around the Visitors Center and walked the trail and boardwalk. We had STELLER'S JAY, more EVENING GROSBEAKs, BLACK-CAPPED and CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEEs, BEWICK'S WREN, BUSHTIT, RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER, NORTHERN FLICKER, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER and BROWN CREEPER. Along the boardwalk part of the trail we saw MALLARD, WOOD DUCK, GREAT BLUE HERON, WILSON'S SNIPE, SPOTTED TOWHEE, PURPLE FINCH, SONG SPARROW. As we drove along Michael Hobbs saw a BAND-TAILED PIGEON.

As we moved north, and into Lewis County, we turned off thru Napavine and saw EUROPEAN STARLING, ROCK PIGEON, EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE and MOURNING DOVE. At a corner we saw RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER, and as we worked our way west and north proceeded to pick up RED-TAILED HAWK, AMERICAN KESTREL, SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, TURKEY VULTURE, SONG SPARROW. A huge flock of VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWs was perched and flying along the road at one point. All the while we were scanning the large open field areas for White-tailed Kite, but they were all elsewhere. At Rose Park we heard and saw two WINTER WRENs. At the ponds along Big Hannaford Rd by the Steam Plant we picked up PIED-BILLED GREBE, MALLARD, CANADA GOOSE, WOOD DUCK, GADWALL, NORTHERN SHOVELER, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, and WOOD DUCK. A GREAT BLUE HERON posed on the edge of the pond. Along the road we saw groups of CEDAR WAXWINGS, had HOODED MERGANSER at a small pond. Lots of WESTERN SCRUB JAYs were to be seen in the region around Centralia.

We finished up on the Discover Chehalis River trail. Where we found SAVANNAH SPARROW, NORTHERN FLICKER, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, TURKEY VULTURE, RED-TAILED HAWK. Three SANDHILL CRANEs flew down and were seen in a cut-over corn field.

It was a good day with great fellow birders, and we got to see 62 species. A nice conclusion to an excellent conference. We all look forward to Wenatchee in 2010.

Brian H. Bell/Michael Hobbs
Woodinville WA/Kirkland WA
mail to bell asoc at isomedia dot com