While having dinner Monday evening out on the patio at the Beach
House Caf? at MarDon Resort on Potholes Lake, we heard a hoot coming from
the large deciduous tree right next to the patio. It turned out to be a
large Great Horned Owl, and it was very cool seeing it from about 30 feet.
There was also a large juvenile in a slender conifer a little further away;
it is really amazing how it was able to hide itself in that thin tree so
that it was almost invisible. There was also a very visible, much smaller
juvenile in the pine tree out front near the entrance of the caf?.



I had taken my wife, Joyce, out for her once-per-year token fly
fishing outing to June Lake (just south of Marco Polo Lake in the Columbia
Wildlife Refuge). Joyce isn?t much into fishing (even though she landed &
released a 20 inch rainbow trout along with several other 12 inchers), but
she does like seeing the birds and wildflowers. Birds of note included
GREAT EGRETS (2), AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS (8) and AMERICAN AVOCETS (2).
Also got to see a small rattlesnake up close and personal on the hike to the
lake, so watch your step if you do any hiking in that area.



Good birding!



Rex Takasugi

Kent, WA