2023 Cowlitz County Bird List - October Update
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By Russ Koppendrayer
During the months of September and October we added four species to our 2023 Cowlitz County list. The rarest was an adult Sabine's Gull seen flying downstream over the Columbia River in the Woodland Bottoms. Seen well by two birder's, this bird was still in full breeding plumage in spite of the late September date. The only previous record was of a juvenile that spent about a week at the same Woodland Bottoms area and was seen by many happy birders in the fall of 2017.
The other additions were a female Surf Scoter found in October at the former Longview sewage treatment ponds. This species seems to be annual in our county during fall migration. Also found at the above location, but on a September date, was a Red-necked Phalarope. This species has been being found in the county more regularly in recent years. Lastly a Broad-winged Hawk was seen soaring along a ridge near Woodland on its southbound migration. This also is becoming nearly an annual find.
Let's look forward to more fun additions to our year list in the final two months of 2023.
Download the pdf here.
Vaux Swifts Fall Migration in The Oregonian
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The Oregonian recently featured the Vaux Swifts in Rainier Ore, check out the video below and see our volunteers in action. Scroll down further for some more info if you would like to go.
Several years ago, Darrel Whipple and crew removed the grating covering the smokestack at Riverside Community church in Rainier OR. The purpose was to attract Vaux swifts during their twice-yearly migration.
The southward migration of the swifts from all over the Northwest usually starts in September, affording us more opportunities to view thousands of them entering the chimney. The success was greater that possibly imagined. One Sunday night in early September last year saw 25000 birds enter the chimney before dark. Similar counts happen each night during the 3-4 weeks of migration. You can watch them and meet our volunteers from the corner of W D St and W 3rd St near Fox Creek in Rainier, Ore.
Larry Schwitters of Vaux’s Happening recently sent out the rankings for the top 14 roost sites on the flyway for the migration. Rainier's Riverside Community Church ranked first, second or third in all three categories!
Enjoy the video and come and see the spectacle in person.
The birds can be unpredictable but, in general, if the weather is relatively calm, they begin entering the roost around an hour before sunset and conclude half an hour after sunset.
Fall 2023 Whistler is available
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The Fall 2023 Whistler is available now.
Read more of its content:
- Cooperation – President’s message
- Vaux Swifts are back
- The Carbon Capture Foundation offers free trees
- Impressions from the WHAS Summer Picnic
- Breeding Bird Survey Summary 2023
- WHAS Board members surveyed Grays River and Salmon Creek Watersheds
- ACOW 202
2023 Cowlitz County Bird List - August Update
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By Russ Koppendrayer
We have reached the end of August and beginning of September which I consider the heart of fall migration. A few species are already through the county and others will begin to be seen a bit later, but currently there are many birds on the move and passing through our area.
Over the last two months we have added five species to our year list for Cowlitz County. Four of these were migrant sandpipers. Western Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs were two that we happened to miss during their spring passage but caught up to this fall. Semipalmated Sandpiper and Pectoral Sandpiper typically use a route east of the Rocky Mountains in the spring, but some come through Washington on their fall southbound trip. Both have been recorded in the county this fall.
The fifth addition was Black Swift. This species is very likely annual in the county and possibly even nests here, but their small numbers and penchant for foraging high in the sky for flying insects means they are not encountered frequently. Seen at Coldwater Lake near the end of August this year.
Download the pdf here.
Bare Root Trees Offered by the Carbon Capture Foundation
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As they have for the last several years The Carbon Capture Foundation (TCCF), a charitable organization sponsored by one of our own WHAS members, Norm Dick, is offering free bare root native tree seedlings to all WHAS members, their families and friends for planting on their property. Primarily four species will be provided: Douglas fir, western red cedar, black cottonwood, and red alder. However if other species are needed, that may be possible by special arrangement. Generally the limit per household is 240 seedlings per year, but this limit may be exceeded by arrangement with TCCF. If you, your family or friends wish to order seedlings you, your family or friends may contact WHAS by
The seedlings will be delivered to WHAS this next winter between late December and the end of February. WHAS will be in contact with those requesting trees to coordinate delivery dates and times. Tree recipients are responsible for making arrangements to plant their seedlings and maintaining them. WSU Extension Foresters are available to help with questions online, by phone and sometimes in person. Also materials on seedling planting, care and maintenance will be provided by TCCF when you pick up the seedlings.
The only limitations for receiving the free seedlings is that they cannot be used for commercial purposes, for replanting areas you have had logged, or for planting areas that you have to plant to keep your ground as forest land for tax purposes. For planting purposes these trees should generally be planted about 12 feet apart. And cedars are best planted in areas that tend to be wet or close to wet areas. With our current drought conditions cedars are struggling to survive in dry areas that they formerly did well in.
Home and farm owners should take advantage of this great offer.
2023 Cowlitz County Bird List - June Update
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By Russ Koppendrayer
We've reached the halfway mark of 2023 with 198 bird species recorded in Cowlitz County through the end of June. This is the most ever for this juncture and it is a good place to compare years as we've seen winter birds, a full spring migration and all our breeding species are here. One reason may be that we have an ever increasing number of folks in the field as well as more people reporting what they see. Time will tell if this translates to a record number at the end of December.
During June we only added three species to the list. Both Common Nighthawk and Red-eyed Vireo were expected as these local nesters are late migrants that typically aren't seen until June each year. We also added Western Kingbird, which was a different story altogether. Although not staying to nest, these flycatchers generally pass through in small numbers from late April through May, For no one to report one during their typical time was odd enough, but then for one to appear at the late date of June 11 added to the puzzle.
Download the pdf here.
2023 Cowlitz County Bird List - May Update
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By Russ Koppendrayer
May saw the spring neotropical migrants continue to arrive and were enjoyed by many birders. For us in Cowlitz County the rarest to be seen were a couple of Lark Sparrows at the sediment retention dam on the Toutle River. For some reason this large sparrow with a striking appearance was seen in unusually large numbers in western Washington this spring. In our state they seem to prefer rocky slopes with some short grass east of the Cascade Mountains for breeding. Only the second record for the county consisted of the two individuals together foraging for seeds in the short grass on top of the sediment retention structure.
Dusky Flycatchers which appear as a code 5 species in the attached list were seen in two locations near Coldwater Lake in May. Code 5 means less than five records for the county and should definitely have been updated to code 4 last year. At any rate this species, formerly difficult to find in Cowlitz County, may have nested in the brushy slopes of the St. Helens blowdown area last summer and may be trying to do the same this year. Not all that surprising as they have bred nearby in similar habitat upslope around the mountain in Skamania County.
Download the pdf here.
Summer 2023 Whistler is available
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The Summer 2023 Whistler is available now.
Read more of its content:
- Bird Listening – President’s message
- Birders Needed to Identify Marbled Murrelets
- Vaux Swift Dinner and Roost Viewing
- An Invitation to Explore the Legacy of John James Audubon
- 2022 Willapa Bay CBC Results
- Earth Day 2023 Recap
- Birding in Oaxaca, Mexico
- Invitation to the Annual Picnic
Birders needed to identify marbled murrelets
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By Larry Brandt
Willapa Hills Audubon is looking for two to four volunteers with some very special birding skills for a May/June project. We have an opportunity to stop the harvest of some legacy [near old growth] trees. Lidar surveying indicates many to be as tall as 200-ft. The grove, consisting of douglas fir, hemlock, cedar and red alder, is located in the Grays river watershed north of Naselle WA. This is Washington Department of Natural Resources managed forest. No private property would be included in the survey.
Determining the presence of marbled murrelet would cancel logging operations and preserve this habitat for murrelets, spotted owls and deep forest wildlife. We learned of this cutting too late in the year to employ radar identification, hence, our need for feet on the ground.
Volunteers must have some experience identifying marbled murrelets during their dusk and dawn flights between the forest canopy and the ocean. Positive identification may include call recognition as well as visual sighting. We propose to cove at least three day of observations (dusk and dawn) but any would be of benefit and more would be superb.
An exceptional viewing location overlooks the entire site and then as far west as the Pacific ocean. Access to the viewing location is via nine miles of unlocked DNR logging road off of highway #4 at Salmon creek east of Naselle. Mile-by-mile directions are available including several formats of mapping. Elevations range from 640-ft. to 1760-ft. The viewing team may allow inexperienced birders wishing to learn.
Interested birders please contact
2023 Cowlitz County Bird List - April Update
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By Russ Koppendrayer
April migration was fairly typical with a trickle of new species for most of the month and then a rush of new finds in the last week as migration started to reach its peak. Birds will continue to pour through the area for the next few weeks before tailing off again. No big rarities were found, just a few Code 4s, which means they have occurred in Cowlitz at least five times but are not seen annually. A Northern Goshawk seen at Canal Road was the most unusual of this group as we go numerous years between records of this species.
In early April I was made aware of an incredible bird found in Cowlitz County during February. An injured Laysan Albatross found at Willow Grove was captured and sent to PAWS (Progressive Animal Welfare Society) in Lynnwood, Washington to be rehabbed. Not only is this family of birds typically found over the open ocean, but this particular species is found in very low numbers off the Washington coast. The rehab was successful and with an assist from the Coast Guard the bird was released a few miles out into the Pacific Ocean.
Download the pdf here.
- 2023 Cowlitz County Bird List - March Update
- 2023 Cowlitz County Bird List - February Update
- 41st Cowlitz Columbia CBC Result
- Spring 2023 Whistler is available
- WHAS Board Looks to Change Chapter Name
- 2023 Cowlitz County Bird List - January Update
- 2022 Cowlitz County Bird List - Final
- Winter 2022 Whistler is available
- 2022 Cowlitz County Bird List - October Update
- Vaux Swifts Fall Migration in full swing