Hello OBOLers and Tweeters,



On Wednesday, December 5, with a few hours-long break in the rain and
sunlight streaming through, my husband and I headed out to Ridgefield NWR in
Clark County, WA for a much-needed break from the indoors. The River S
unit's auto tour was surprisingly busy for a weekday. I always check the
white board on the visitor "hut" before going in just to see what others
have reported on the route. We didn't see the reported Black Phoebe at
marker 5 (or anywhere else), nor did we see the Red-Shouldered Hawk reported
at marker 11. We heard a few SANDHILL CRANES but didn't get any close looks.
The geese and ducks were numerous. This odd-looking guy was swimming with
TUNDRA SWANS. Take a look at this photo on my Flickr page:
http://flic.kr/p/dyTaut Is this a BEWICK's? It seemed to be the same size as
the rest of the Tundra Swans in the same vicinity. Just before marker 7, we
came across a mixed flock of birds that included this WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW
http://flic.kr/p/dyT4BK. My husband saw and photographed a PEREGRINE FALCON
at the same spot. At the observation blind at marker 7, we saw MARSH WRENS,
SONG SPARROWS, a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, and a CHICKADEE
http://flic.kr/p/dyYyDL I cannot tell if it is either Black-Capped or
Chestnut-backed. It never showed me its topside

Thanks to someone's note on the white board, we knew to look out for LESSER
YELLOWLEGS http://flic.kr/p/dyTexH at marker 8. Later on the route, this
Red-tailed Hawk http://flic.kr/p/dyT7frhad a wet spot at the top of its
right leg. I couldn't tell if it was water or blood. The Hawk did not seem
to be in distress.

Near marker 13 or 14, this NORTHERN HARRIER http://flic.kr/p/dyT4BK calmly
perched while drivers carefully passed by.

This is a late report, but I was too busy with our Thanksgiving company to
post it then. On November 25, we drove to Mount St. Helens. In the parking
lot of the closed Johnston Ridge Observatory, a COMMON RAVEN
http://flic.kr/p/dwxU4X kept an eye on the people who were snacking next to
their car. Just outside the observatory, looking toward the volcano, an
unfamiliar small raptor flew over. I tried to memorize its field marks until
I could get back home and look it up in my Sibley's. The closest match I
could find was a PRAIRIE FALCON. Does this make sense?

On November 26, we went to Kress Lake in Cowlitz County, WA (exit 32 off
I-5) for a second time to try to catch some of those trout that were
allegedly stocked in the lake earlier in the week. We didn't have a boat, so
we caught no trout. On a side note, my sister found all five geocaches that
were hidden at Kress Lake. Since I like "catching" more than I like
"fishing," I brought along my camera and binocs. A woman in a boat noticed
my distinctive birding behavior and pointed me toward what she identified as
a LEAST BITTERN at the end of the lake. She also told me she doesn't see
well without her glasses.

It wasn't a Bittern. It was better! I saw and photographed this gorgeous
GREEN HERON http://flic.kr/p/dwDMn9, a code 3 bird here in Cowlitz County.
Also at Kress Lake, my sister saw her first BALD EAGLE in the wild
http://flic.kr/p/dwDPPo. Luckily, I had my camera along, since we also were
entertained by a pair of BELTED KINGFISHERS http://flic.kr/p/dwyjRkwho spent
a lot of time noisily chasing each other around the lake.

Happy Birding!

Amy Hill

Kalama, WA

Cowlitz County

628 feet up

60stops2home at kalama dot com