My family and I went spent Christmas with my parents in Vancouver, WA. On Christmas Day my father, son and I drove west out of Vancouver on NW Lower River Rd,?then headed north?on NW Erwin O. Rieger Memorial Hwy. along Vancouver Lake looking for birds. On the west?side of the road we saw several egrets in a field along with some great blue herons.

I believe the egrets were cattle egrets based on their thick, yellow bills and black legs. I don't know if cattle egrets are regular winter visitors to the Vancouver area.? It?was the first time I have seen an egret and my ID is based on?what I read in?my Sibley's.? If anyone thinks the birds?may have been a different species of egret,?shoot me an e-mail and I wlll send you some photos I took with my big honkin' lens.???

Bill Anderson; Edmonds, WA. USA