Subject: [Tweeters] Steigerwald Lake NWR
Date: Sep 30 21:49:34 2010
From: Wilson Cady - gorgebirds at juno.com


Today, I led a group of seventeen Friends of the Columbia Gorge members on a walk on the Gibbons Creek Art Trail, at the Steigerwald Lake NWR in Clark County, to take advantage of it being the last day before the seasonal closure of one section of the trail. Birding was only fair in the heat and stiff breeze. Some of the first birds we found were a flock of 18 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS perched in the trees in the wetland and singing their lovely song. A flock of 26 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE circled over us before setting down on the sandbars near the Gibbons Creek fish ladder. A noisy young PILEATED WOODPECKER, still sporting some tufts of down, landed on a snag about twenty-five feet over our heads allowing excellent views. We soon discovered what this bird was upset about when a GREAT HORNED OWL was spotted perched in the open across the creek. The artwork for the "Art Trail" is finally being installed but you will not be able to see two of the pieces until next Spring as they are along the section of trail closed from October 1st to May 1st to protect wintering waterfowl.

Wilson Cady
Washougal, WA
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