By Russ Koppendrayer
Time for the end of fall update to our 2024 species list of birds seen in Cowlitz County. In the last two months we have added four species, which can be seen on the updated attached list. The four included Red-necked Grebe which makes annual stops during fall and early winter along the Columbia River in our county. Also seen was a single Sanderling seen along the Columbia in the Woodland Bottoms by a single observer. Sanderling make very infrequent appearances in Cowlitz County and the handful of records are spaced across numerous years. Scope views of at least one and possibly two Lewis's Woodpecker were had by a small group of birders counting migrant Turkey Vultures in the Woodland Bottoms. Like Sanderling, this species also has a handful of records over a span of years. The final addition was a Palm Warbler seen by a single observer in the Woodland Bottoms (a bit of a theme it seems). Only our fifth ever record for this species.
I also added Common Tern to the list as a group of three were observed flying downstream along the Columbia River near Kalama in late April. While being documented then this fourth record in Cowlitz County somehow eluded me adding it to this list until now.
Download the pdf here.