Subject: [Tweeters] Skamania County
Date: Apr 10 23:42:43 2012
From: Wilson Cady - gorgebirds at juno.com


Les Carlson, George Mayfield, Barry Woodruff and I spent today of birding Skamania County. Our birding was confined to the lower elevations along the Columbia River due to lingering snow above 2,000'. We started the day out at my house on Mt. Pleasant, where we saw a few common species in about a half of an hour before heading out. The best birds at home were multiple RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS. On Marble Road we found the first of the year SAVANNAH SPARROWS and WILSON'S SNIPE and calling COMMON YELLOWTHROATS. The feeder at the house near the bridge at Skamania Landing had one EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES, a new species for that location. At a stop at the Beacon Rock State Park, Doetsch Road property we found a pair of RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKERS. Back at the Highway 14 parking lot we heard the CANYON WREN calling as soon as we got out of the vehicle and were lucky to catch a quick view of a PEREGRINE FALCON flying behind the rock. Hamilton Island, below Bonneville Dam was quiet but across the road we found a single WESTERN MEADOWLARK near the south end of Greenleaf Slough. At the Bonneville Hot Springs Resort pond we called up a VIRGINIA RAIL. An EARED GREBE and the only COMMON GOLDENEYE of the day were in the Columbia River at the Stevenson Sternwheeler Dock. There was a pair of AMERICAN DIPPERS at the dam above the Little White Salmon Fish Hatchery and a COMMON LOON in Drano Lake. We added a BREWER'S BLACKBIRD and saw a second EARED GREBE at the Spring Creek Fish Hatchery. WILD TURKEYS were at their usual spot on Packard Road in Underwood. From there we worked our way back west revisiting many of the same spots picking up a few more species we had missed. we ended the day with a total of 7 species seen. With most of the waterfowl gone and only few migrant species back this was a tough day of birding. Wilson Cady