Subject: [Tweeters] Skamania County Birds
Date: Feb 5 20:02:21 2016
From: Wilson Cady - gorgebirds at juno.com


Les Carlson and I birded our way across Skamania County and back birding mainly along Highway 14. At the Franz Lake NWR Overlook we spotted a single GREAT EGRET, 20 vocal TRUMPETER SWANS but no Tundra Swans. Another GREAT EGRET was at Doetsch Pond at Skamania Landing and we were able to easily see the continuing HARRIS'S SPARROW at the house by the one-lane bridge after a MERLIN left the area.. On Strawberry Island, below Bonneville Dam, we had a NORTHERN HARRIER and two AMERICAN KESTRELS. At the juvenile fish bypass, upstream of the boat ramp, we found only two gulls, one GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL and a THAYER'S GULL. There were low numbers of ducks on Rock Creek Pond at Stevenson but we did pick out a RUDDY DUCK among the Bufflehead. We saw just one YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER at the Spring Creek Fish Hatchery before we headed for Underwood. We counted 19 WESTERN GREBES off of the mouth of the White Salmon River, right at the Klickitat County border. We then drove up to Underwood where we found WILD TURKEYS, CALIFORNIA QUAIL EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE and another MERLIN. Three Code 4 birds and a Code 5 bird made for a good day.


Wilson Cady
Columbia River Gorge, WA