A fun weekend of birding in southwestern WA, with many of the summer
birds back - finally!

I started Saturday at Galvin Rd. outside Centralia (Lewis Co.). The
field is still flooded, but I struck out on shorebirds. Instead,
though, I had my first of year [FOY] Lazuli Bunting singing on the
wire above me --

Next, I headed into Cowlitz County- I drove down Barnes Rd from the
county line and found it very birdy -- Amongst the Black-throated
Gray Warblers, Yellow-rumped & Wilson's Warblers were a couple Hermit
Warblers [new for the year for me]. Western Tanagers & Evening
Grosbeaks were high up in the trees too.

I stopped at the Toutle River RV park, where an 'extreme obstacle
course' race was on -- despite the runners, I was allowed to head to
the south end where the Western Bluebirds were hanging out in &
around their nest box. The Bank Swallow colony was near [but I don't
think underfoot] the race route, keeping them up in the air.

At the Port of Kalama, I saw my first Western Wood-Pewee of the year,
along with Bullock's Orioles and a Spotted Sandpiper. I spent a good
bit of time checking the fields around Woodland Bottoms, but was only
able to find 2 Greater Yellowlegs along Kuhnis Rd. At the Pekin Rd.
access, I enjoyed a mixed warbler & vireo flock that included
Cassin's and Warbling Vireos. Along Whalen Rd., 2 Western Kingbirds
were hanging out west of Kuhnis Rd.


I spent a couple hours in the afternoon at Julia Butler Hanson NWR
[Wahkiakum Co] where I found the field near the Purple Martin Gourds
busy: 12 Whimbrel, 10 Semipalmated Plovers, 6 Long-billed Dowitchers,
and a handful of Least & Western Sandpipers were present.

Sunday May 15
I spent most of today in Skamania County in the rain. Despite the
rain, I ran across several small flocks of warblers that kept things
interesting.

On the way in, on Marble Road, just inside the county, I came across
about 8 Lazuli Bunting along the fencelines.

The best warbler flock was around Rail Pond on Whitcomb/Strawberry
Island at N.Bonneville. In amongst the many Orange-crowned, Yellow,
Wilson's & Yellow-rumped Warblers were several Nashville Warblers &
one Hermit Warbler. Throw in another Lazuli Bunting and a couple
un-id'd empids and it made for a fun mix.

I stopped at the Doetsch day-use area just west of Beacon Rock [and
part of Beacon Rock SP] and had my 'rarest' bird of the trip - a GRAY
FLYCATCHER, hanging out in some of the large deciduous trees in the
main field. It was extremely cooperative, sticking around while I
approached to allow good views of the mostly orange underside of its
long bill, nice even eyering, and long dipping tail. When I played
the ipod, it responded w/ some call notes [but no song].

On the way out of Skamania County, I stopped again along Marble Road
-- 2 Chipping Sparrows were hanging out along the road. And on a
fenceline in the Clark County side , a pair of Western Kingbirds were
doing some flycatching. Couldn't coax them into Skamania though.

A good weekend,

Matt Bartels
Seattle, WA