Sherry and I walked along the Chehalis Airport Dike Trail today. There is a small parking area at the entrance to the airport, which is at the south end, off Airport Rd.. The trail starts at NW Florida Ave and Airport Rd., so you have to walk along Airport Rd. to the corner. The pond along the south side of Airport Rd. can be viewed by walking about 50ft down NW Florida Ave. We had some MALLARDS, RING-NECKED DUCKS, and a GREAT BLUE HERON. The inside of the dike has a slough that mostly consists of cattails. Shortly after beginning the walk, you come to River Side Golf Course. From the trail you can view a couple of small lakes for waterfowl. As we continued north along the trail, the large grassy field with seasonal ponds, and a scattering of bushes and trees came into view. We saw;
Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
American Wigeon
Northern Shoveler
Ring-necked Duck
Double-crested Cormorant
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
American Coot
Killdeer
American Kestrel
American Crow

Further along the trail, the grassy field gave way to a marsh which was on both sides of the trail. We saw;
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Duck
Bufflehead
Pied-billed Grebe
Marsh Wren 1
Bewick's Wren 1
Red-winged Blackbird

At this point, 1 1/2 miles, we turned around and went back. However, if you continue, you will see more seasonal ponds and fields. But you will have to leave the dike trail and follow Airport Rd. and walk on the west side of the road.

Dave Hayden
dtvhm AT nwrain.com
Centralia, WA