Blog - Willapa Hills Audubon Society

2020 Cowlitz County Bird List - Final Update

Details: Last Updated: January 02, 2021

White-tailed Kite- Image courtesy of Kevin Cole via Wikemedia — White-tailed Kite- Image courtesy of Kevin Cole via Wikimedia

By Russ Koppendrayer

Two species have been added to the list since the last report two months ago. This gives us the most species found in Cowlitz County in one year over the life of this project. The first addition was a Heermann's Gull that was actually seen in mid October, but didn't get through the eBird review in time for the October report. This was the third ever record for the county for this gull that has a strong attachment to salt water. While we have three records, Wahkiakum county just downstream on the Columbia River has only one record and the next county upstream (Clark) has never witnessed this visitor. Heermann's Gull is a handsome mostly gray gull whose favorite foraging technique is to follow Brown Pelicans when they plunge dive on baitfish and take advantage of any fish stirred up or spilled by the pelicans.

The second addition was a White-tailed Kite that appeared for a couple days at Willow Grove. This species has become quite rare anywhere in Washington in the last twelve years. After being well established in the southwest part of the state, their range has regressed southward with the nearest population now in the Tillamook, Oregon area.

As previously stated there is now a new county highest total for species in a year. These 209 species include the three that were new to the county. We added Gray Flycatcher, Siberian Accentor, and American Redstart to our list in 2020.

We'll see what 2021 has to offer for birding excitement and pleasure, and good birding to all.

Download the pdf here.

Winter 2020 Whistler is online

Details: Last Updated: March 01, 2021

The Winter 2020 Whistler is available now.

Cowlitz-Columbia Christmas Bird Count 2020

Details: Last Updated: December 02, 2020

NEW YEARS DAY 2021

Friday, January 1, 2021 Cowlitz -Columbia Christmas Bird Count (3CBC) is the first of the New Year. We will be out for an 8 hour period covering a 15 mile diameter circle looking for any birds that will let us see them.

More details will come later.

To sign up, call Bob Reistroffer 360-751-5595 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

This count will be different because of COVID-19. The guidelines are:

NO in-person compilation gatherings.
Social distancing and/or masking are required at all times in the field.
Carpooling may only occur within existing familiar or social “pod” groups.
Activities must comply with all current state and municipal COVID-19 guidelines.

HOPE YOU CAN PARTICIPATE 1-1-21 !

Wahkiakum CBC 2020

Details: Last Updated: November 17, 2020

The Wahkiakum CBC is still on, December 29, 2020.

There are some national standards for the Christmas Bird Count this year due to Covid-19, which we will follow. Participants should not carpool with people other than their own family group or social pod.

There will be no gathering at the end of the day - participants should submit their data via email. As the Wahkiakum count is generally birding outdoors in a sparsely populated area, the chance of transmitting the virus will be low as long as participants mask up and wash hands for purchasing fuel or food, or are otherwise interacting with others.

Those who wish to participate may contact Andrew Emlen at 360-795-8009.

Children’s Discovery Museum: Discovering a Wonderful World

Details: Last Updated: February 22, 2023

A special place in Longview is the Children’s Discovery Museum. There, children play with interactive exhibits that are designed for learning. Children of all ages can find something of interest there, from the area designed for babies to the large harmonograph.

Kids can picture themselves boating, shopping at the farm to table market, or as doctors and dentists. Creativity flourishes with exhibits like the Wind Tunnel and with stories,arts, and crafts. Parents and museum volunteers help enrich the experience by interacting with kids in child-centered play. Staff are working on developing new experiences for the children to look forward to, which may soon include a stage and a puppet theater.

The museum has reopened at 1209 Commerce Avenue near the corner with Hemlock Street after having been closed for
over two years during the covid pandemic. It is free to the public, and many children return to it time and again.

Winter Raptor Survey Slide Presentation

Details: Last Updated: November 06, 2020

Check out this slide presentation by Jeff Fleischer of East Cascades Audubon, coordinator of the Winter Raptor Survey Project. Several members of Willapa Hills help with survey routes in Cathlamet and Puget Island, Grays River, Naselle and Rainier, OR.

The presentation is packed with information and is a great way to continue birding education during the long winter and while Covid19 keeps us isolated.

2020 Cowlitz County Bird List - October Update

Details: Last Updated: November 02, 2020

Marbled Godwit - Image courtesy of Wikemedia — Marbled Godwit - Image courtesy of Wikimedia

By Russ Koppendrayer

A couple quite rare species for the county were found in the last couple months along with a number of species that are seen more often, but not annually. Add in a couple finds of species seen annually, and we had a banner late fall season. Our total species to date for 2020 ties our best ever annual total, so any additions in the final two months will be our best ever since the beginning of this project.

The second county record of Marbled Godwit was found in a wetland at Kalama during September. Like the previous record it was a one day wonder and gone by the next day. Also a second record for Cowlitz County was a Broad-winged Hawk found by a hawk watcher that was primarily counting Turkey Vultures migrating along a ridge line just east of I-5 near Woodland. This bird soared along the same wind currents as the vultures. The only previous record was two years ago during fall migration at the same place and found by the same observer. A Brown Pelican was seen resting briefly on a Columbia River sandbar for another rare find. There have been a number of prior records, but this species is far from annual this far from salt water in Washington.

Download the pdf here.

A quarter-million swifts roosted in Rainier!

Details: Last Updated: October 10, 2020

Hats off to Carolyn Norred and her crew of volunteers! They documented 270,052 Vaux’s Swift “roostings" at Riverside Community Church in Rainier during the southbound migration. The only roost site to beat Rainier was the McNear Brickyard in San Rafael, CA.

Details are below in Larry Schwitters's summary of the count.

Hummingbirds in Slow Motion

Details: Last Updated: September 22, 2020

Have you ever wondered about Hummingbirds?

Here is a video with over 20 amazing facts, it includes slow motion footage of the bird hover and fly backwards in hd. It would make a great short clip for school nature projects.

Vaux's Swifts in Rainier Oregon

Details: Last Updated: February 06, 2023

Vaux's Swifts are starting to roost in the Riverside Community Church chimney in Rainier. We already had a few readings getting up to 20,000.

Folks wishing to check out this phenomenon for themselves will have the best chance from half an hour before sunset until half an hour after sunset. The southward migration of the swifts from all over the Northwest starts in September, affording us more opportunities to view thousands of them entering the chimney. You can watch them from the lower parking lot accessible from W C St next to Fox Creek.

Larry Schwitters of Vaux’s Happening recently sent out the rankings for the top 14 roost sites on the flyway for the northbound migration. Rainier's Riverside Community Church ranked second or third in all three categories! Southbound migration usually has far larger numbers -- check it out and say hi to Carolyn and Art.