Subject: [Tweeters] Washington Birding is Great
Date: Feb 25 16:12:36 2013
From: Sherry Hagen - littlebirder at pacifier.com


I was just reading OBOL (for Oregon birding) and I had a realization. Arden and I did a lot of birding in Oregon in the past 36 plus years since we live in Vancouver and across the river from Portland. Last year we birded almost exclusively in Washington and not only did we get to see so much more of the state I love and have lived in since I was born (excluding 4 1/2 months in OR waiting for a house to be built back in Washington in Vancouver), we got to experience 370 species of birds in our own state in that year.

What use to seem like a long way to go to see birds in certain places of WA, doesn?t seem so far any more. I still read about the birds in Oregon but am more interested in ones here at ?home?. It was fun to see where Green-tailed Towhees & Cordilleran Flycatchers nest along Biscuit Ridge Rd near Walla Walla, searching for American Restarts along the North Cascade Hwy, Dusky Grouse along Selmo Trail and Black-throated Sparrows in the sage brush. We had never searched for them before and these are 5 of the many birds we added to our WA state list last year while doing the Big Year Fund Raiser for our local Audubon.

Again Thanks for all the help from Tweeters for such an Outstanding year.

Sherry Hagen
littlebirder at comcast.net
Vancouver, WA