Today I led the Washington Ornithological Society field trip in
Wahkiakum County. The ten of us together found 91 species (plus 6
mammal species). On Puget Island we relocated the Northern
Mockingbird and Redhead found on the Wahkiakum Christmas Bird Count,
though we failed at two attempts to find the Black Phoebe on Little
Island. A Eurasian Wigeon off Puget Island added a count week species
to the CBC. The Hansen Refuge yielded White-tailed Kite, as well as a
Peregrine Falcon dive-bombing a Bald Eagle. Grays Bay had a flock of
150+ Tundra Swans. From Harrington Point (mile 6 on the Altoona Road)
we found Surf, White-winged and Black Scoters plus a Long-tailed
Duck. As the daylight waned, only Michael Hobbs took me up on an
offer to try for owls at my home in Skamokawa. As we were giving up
and heading back to the car, an intense coyote chorus started up, and
a Barred Owl did its best to call out over them. It was a great
ending to a very good day.
Andrew Emlen
aemlen AT centurytel.net