Someone posted recently about the low count of shorebirds. I am new to the area (Vancouver, WA), but I have come here the last three summers.? In 2011 I saw a lot of ducks and pied-billed grebes at Ridgefield NWR, as well as in 2012.? Yes, they were mostly mallards, but there were also Ruddy Ducks and Wood Ducks.? This year I have not seen any Ruddy Ducks. I have seen some Wood Ducks and some Mallards, but far fewer than previously.? I saw no grebes at all.? The first time I went to Ridgefield two weeks ago I saw no ducks at all, and only ONE Wilson's Snipe.? This in an area where last year the sound of winnowing was everywhere.? If this is climate change, I don't like it!
Oh, yes, last summer I did see a Great-tailed Grackle perched on a utility pole in Salmon Creek ( I reported to e-bird but I think I did so incorrectly because the report never showed up).? If they are moving this far north, you can bet there is some serious climate disruption in the making. I can remember when they first started moving into the area I lived in in California, people were excited. Now they are common and they are breeding in areas they never did before.

Michelle Maani
lamoustique at yahoo.com
Vancouver, WA