Subject: [Tweeters] Clark, Wahkiakum & Cowlitz weekend birding
Date: Nov 29 05:38:26 2010
From: mattxyz at earthlink.net - mattxyz at earthlink.net


Hi Tweeters -
Around either side of Portland Thanksgiving plans, I spent the long
weekend birding in Clark, Wahkiakum & Cowlitz counties this weekend.

Clark County:

Snow Bunting - 11/25, along the Ridgefield loop as reported by others.

Vancouver Area -
Pelagic Cormorant - 1 at the far end of Lower River Rd 11/25

Surf Scoter - at mp 11 on Lower River Rd on 11/26

Red-necked Grebe - 11/26 under the I-5 bridge; 11/28 from Marine Park
[e of I-5 bridge a bit]

White-breasted Nuthatch - first time I've seen them at Vancouver
Lake County Park, but since they are resident nearby at Ridgefield
this probably isn't too unusual.


Wahkiakum County:
[all sightings from Saturday 11/27]

Altoona - spent a couple hours here scanning the flocks, waiting in
vain for the huge flock of Snow Geese just across the border in
Oregon to fly north....

Brant - 6 flying by headed west

Pelagic Cormorant - a couple around here

Red-throated, Pacific & Common Loons - 3-4 RTLO, a couple PALO and many COLO.

Surf Scoter - several groups

White-winged Scoter - 10+ scattered around

Ruddy Duck - 20-30

Tundra Swan - 100+ in Grays Bay

Bonaparte's Gull - 1 juv.

Northern Pygmy-Owl - one came in to an iPod, a little west of the 'town'



Cowlitz County:

Woodland Bottoms - the large flock of scaup continues, a bit south of
Whalen Rd along the Dike Rd.
It included:

Surf Scoter - still 1-2 present, seen on Thursday [11/25] & Friday [11/26]

White-winged Scoter - 3 there, seen Friday

Canvasback - 1 mixed in the scaup flock on Thursday


Peregrine Falcons - 2 at the ne end of the Dike Rd loop on Thursday.

Tundra Swans - a few flying over on Sunday [11/28] - I believe I also
had a flock of 6 Trumpeter Swans fly by , but couldn't nail down the
id enough to be sure.

Great Egret - not uncommon around Woodland Bottoms, but 50+ feeding
in one field near Pekin Rd was pretty fun to watch.


Good birding,

Matt Bartels
Seattle, WA