Subject: [Tweeters] Pacific and Wahkiakum Counties
Date: Feb 27 10:39:56 2011
From: washingtonbirder.Ken Knittle - washingtonbirder at hotmail.com




Friday Tom Mansfield and I birded Pacific County. A few high-lights include Barn Swallows and Tree Swallows flying over the marshy areas near the Raymond Airport. Trumpeter Swans at Midway Beach and east of Tokeland. Potter Slough had 1 male Canvasback and Gadwall, both are tough in Pacific County. Ilwaco had Thayer's Gull just east of the marina.

On Saturday we birded Wahkiakum County from 7 am to 3 pm with 74 species of birds. After a few stops along the way we really began our day at Altoona. Near where the old cannery use to be was a female Barrow's Goldeneye, very tough in this part of the state. A bit of scoping produced Red-throated Loon and a Clark's Grebe floating west with the tide, another quality bird for Wahkiakum Co. A Thayer's Gull and Tundra Swans were also present along with Surf and White-winged Scoters. The Tundras seem to like the northern part of Grays Bay. heading east on Barr Road the fields and forest were quite snowy and a small flock of Wild Turkeys were south of the road in a small field next to the forest. Turkeys are not always that easy in this part of Washington. Julia Butler Hansen NWR didn't really have much open water and the Cackling Geese found better feeding on Puget Island where we went to next. No odd ball geese were hanging out with the Cacklers. Birds seen on Puget Island were Canvasback in several places, 1 Eurasian Wigeon, White-crowned Sparrows, Western Meadowlarks, Mourning Doves, Eurasian Collared-Doves, and our first of the year Brown-headed Cowbirds. At County Line Park we had a Hermit Thrush. There were lots of Robins, Fox and Song Sparrows and Varied Thrush all along the roads all day.




Ken Knittle
Vancouver WA 98665
mailto:washingtonbirder.com
Washington Birder online
http://www.wabirder.com/