I was out late today- around mid day- and it was heating up keeping me in the car. My first stop was Lower River Rd Pool and found the usual peeps, 176 least and 25 western sandpipers, 7 greater yellowlegs and two killdeer. The long legged numbers fell off with 21 great egret and 15 great blue heron.

I then went to Shillipoo Lake and found a cloud of starlings flying over the lake. I then noticed vultures and a buteo flying a thermal in the distance with the distance I used the scope and as I was trying to locate them a falcon zipped past my view I knew immediately it was a prairie so i grabbed the binos and observed the facial pattern and dark underwing auxiliaries. It was heading to the Columbia river with blackbirds attempting to chase it. This was a big surprise and of course a County year bird (#210) the last one on 15 June so I am hoping this will bring a good fall migration. There was not much else to mention at Shillipoo Lake and I never relocated the hawk.

At Fazio's pond off L. River Rd I found 10 long-billed dowitcher and did not see the cranes from yesterday.

At Fazio's feedlot there was a male yellow-headed blackbird.

Bob Flores
Ridgefield, WA