Tweets.



Just returned from a couple of days birding in Lewis County. On Saturday, I
headed out US-12, as far as Morton. Best bird of the weekend was a PRAIRIE
FALCON just outside Mossyrock. I saw a flock of starlings take to the air
in full flight, with a falcon hot on their heels. I at first assumed it was
a Peregrine, but as it flew low over my head and I saw the diagnostic dark
axillaries of a Prairie. Nice!



Along the Forest Service Road at the east end of Riffe Lake, a TOWNSEND'S
SOLITAIRE was seen. The lake itself was completely void of birdlife.



Today I birded the Centralia area: Big Hanaford Road, Goodrich Road, and
Lincoln Creek Road. The most abundant bird was COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, I must
have seen/heard at least 30 today. A few ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS were also
found. Lots of singing PURPLE FINCHES, and pugetensis WC SPARROWS also in
full song. The Goodrich Ponds had 17 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, the only shorebirds
seen except for Killdeer. The duck populations and diversity have changed
considerably since I was down here last month: lots of BUFFLEHEAD,
RING-NECKED DUCKS, and GREEN-WINGED TEAL, but everything else was in short
supply. There was one very large flock of CACKLING GEESE, but just pairs of
CANADA's. I was hoping to find some other teal, Cinnamon and/or
Blue-winged, but no luck, despite searching every lake, pond, and puddle.



A very nice two days.



MaryFrances Mathis

Kirkland

Mf.mathis at verizon.net