Hi tweets,
Having spent saturday with Russ in Cowlitz county, I and Mary-Francis Mathis, and Penny and David Koyama teamed up to chase some birds in Wahkiakum county.
I started early by hearing RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH and RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER, and CASSINS VIREO outside my yurt in Skamakowa Vista park. Met the others and dragged them back, but we only found the sapsucker later.
Then, trying to avoid the fog on the river, we went up Mid-valley road and found HUTTONS and PACIFIC SLOPE FLYCATCHERS, BROWN CREEPER, WILSONS AND BLACK THROATED GRAY WARBLERS. And AMERICAN DIPPER. Continuing up Mv1100, we heard at least 2 booming SOOTY GROUSE.
Coming back down to JBH NWR, we walked out to Hornstra spit, but found only a pair of BONAPARTES GULLS. last week I had BB PLOVER, SB DOWITCHER, and DUNLIN here in addition to the Bonapartes. What a difference in a week!
The PURPLE MARTINS were a lovely sight on the gourds ...
Then we caught up with Ken Knittle, his brother, Anne Kahle, and Tom Mansfield scoping the YELLOW BILLED LOON. Great, if distant, views of a great bird!
Mary-Francis then took off (abandoning us! ;) to chase Ross's goose, and the Koyamas and I went out to Puget Island hoping for migrants. But it was mid-day and too early in migration. We saw very little until finding more Purple Martins and 15 WHIMBREL! Probably the largest flock of them I have seen in the state.
The Koyamas, stranded at 99 birds for the county, then headed towards Altoona to try for another couple of species, and I headed home over Beaver Creek Road. I had a fly-over BAND TAILED PIGEON, then stopped across from a clear cut and called up a HERMIT WARBLER. Later on I heard some EVENING GROSBEAKS.
It was a lovely day with good company, with some great and unexpected birds. But I think I left with my county list at about 148 species, so I will just HAVE to come back again later !

Guy Mcwethy
Renton, WA


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