2019 Cowlitz County Bird List - August Update

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Last Updated: September 04, 2019

By Russ Koppendrayer

Download the pdf here.

Fall 2019 Whistler is online

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Last Updated: September 04, 2019

The Fall 2019 Whistler is available now.

Read more of its content: 

• Wings over Willapa Festival
• Christmas Bird Count Dates 2019
• Forty Years and Counting
• Good and Problematic News about the Skookumchuck Wind Energy Project
• Learn about WHAS’s partnership with Lower Columbia School Gardens
• A Strange Nest Site
• WHAS funded Purple Martin Poles -- Project Update
• ACOW Fall 2019
• Programs and Fieldtrips

2019 Cowlitz County Bird List - June Update

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Last Updated: July 06, 2019

By Russ Koppendrayer

We had a couple very impressive finds in Cowlitz County during June. First was a pair of Eastern Kingbirds found at the Toutle River Sediment Retention Dam. Just the third record of this species in the county, they were observed building a nest. Later in the month only one individual was being seen. Whether the nesting attempt was aborted or a hidden nest was in use is not known at this time.

The second great find was a Cassin's Auklet in the Columbia River just downstream from Kalama. Not only was this the first ever record of this species in Cowlitz County, but I couldn't find any other record for this sea going alcid in fresh water anywhere in Washington prior to this find. It was observed swimming for about ten minutes including a couple of dives before it flew off and was not relocated. An unusual occurrence indeed.

Download the pdf here.

2019 Cowlitz County Bird List - May Update

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Last Updated: June 13, 2019

By Russ Koppendrayer

A couple species more typically found in eastern Washington were observed in Cowlitz County during this May.

The first was the third county record of Dusky Flycatcher, a species that may occur here occasionally in spring migration, but very difficult to distinguish from the much more prevalent Hammond's Flycatcher.

The second was the first ever county record of Lark Sparrow. This species prefers to nest on arid grassland or sagebrush with rocky soil in eastern Washington. Lark Sparrow seems to make an appearance somewhere in western Washington with a bit of regularity at random locations. With this record in Cowlitz County, only Wahkiakum and Mason counties have never hosted this handsome bird.

Download the pdf here.

Summer 2019 Whistler is online

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Last Updated: May 24, 2019

The Summer 2019 Whistler is available now.

Read more of its content: 

• Join us for the 2019 Willapa Hills Summer Picnic
• Come Volunteer at the Children’s Discovery Museum
• President Message: Slow Down and Smell the Roses
• Membership Form
• NW Birding Events
• Purple Martin Nest Boxes at the Coast
• Riverside Community Church is now open to Vaux’s Swifts
• Programs and Fieldtrips

Cowlitz PUD Osprey Cam

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Last Updated: May 20, 2019

The Cowlitz PUD Osprey cam is finally live again. This year they added a second camera with live audio. There are 3 eggs now.

See the videos on YouTube: Camera one has a view from above, and camera two from the side with the audio. 

2019 Cowlitz County Bird List - April Update

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Last Updated: May 02, 2019

By Russ Koppendrayer

As is typical for April the arrival of migrants started slowly and steadily ramped up as the month progressed, with numerous species making a first appearance in the county during the last week.

This included our third ever record of Calliope Hummingbird on the very last day. This smallest bird species north of Mexico breeds east of the Cascades, but a few are seen briefly in places west of those mountains in late April or early May each year. The male with the striking rose-colored streaked gorget fit this pattern. It made multiple morning visits to a window feeder in Woodland to the delight of the residents, only to not be seen again.

We still have numerous species to make an appearance and migration will continue strong all through May, so get out there and enjoy this annual phenomenon, whether it be in your yard or in the forests and fields.

Download the pdf here.

2019 Cowlitz County Bird List - March Update

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Last Updated: April 02, 2019

By Russ Koppendrayer

Migrants started to trickle in through the month of March and we found a few wintering species that had eluded us earlier.

The big find of the month was a Black-crowned Night-Heron. While there are previous records for this species in Cowlitz County this is the first appearance for this species that I'm aware of in the last twenty years. As it's name implies a Black-crowned Night-Heron usually is active and feeds at night and hunkers down on a day roost that can be quite hidden. Fortunately for those wanting to see this bird it was found on two mornings about a week apart and each time remained on that roost throughout the day. Word got around and numerous people got to see it each time.

Get out and enjoy the arrival of migrants whether in your neighborhood or out in the field. The pace will pick up over the next weeks.

Download the pdf here.

2019 Cowlitz Columbia CBC Results

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Last Updated: February 25, 2019

 By Bob Reistroffer

On Tuesday, January 1, 2019 the 37^th Cowlitz-Columbia Christmas Bird Count (3CBC), the first of the New Year, was conducted. We had 19 field observers and 3 feeder watchers out for the day peering through the fog and finding 89 species of birds. The species count this year was the lowest since 2010. Since 2010 we have had 4 years with over 100 species and the rest in the mid 90’s. Our highest species number was 108 in 2013 and 2016.

The count circle was begun in 1982 with 57 species and 4,545 individual birds found. This year we found 89 species and 14,721 individuals. We recorded some all time individual high counts; 597 Tundra Swans, 394 Ring-necked Ducks, 165 Buffleheads, 664 Rock Doves, 13 Red-breasted Sapsuckers, 200 Western Scrub Jays, 98 Golden-crowned Kinglets, 768 American Robins, and 13 Brown Creepers(tied a high).

Thank you to all our field observers and feeder watchers.

2019 Wahkiakum CBC Results

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Last Updated: February 25, 2019

By Andrew Emlen

We found 109 species (about average for this circle) plus six additional count week species, despite fairly steady rain. The most abundant species in the circle was Greater Scaup with a count of 23,832, followed by Cackling Goose with 12,240. The most unusual species found were a Lesser Goldfinch (a Wahkiakum county and Wahkiakum CBC first) on Puget Island, a Harris's Sparrow on Aldrich Point Road in Brownsmead, and a Lesser Yellowlegs on Jackson-Pentilla Road in Brownsmead (a first for this CBC). New high counts were set for Trumpeter Swan, Cinnamon Teal, Ring-necked Duck (302, previous high 188), Black Phoebe (10, previous high 4), California Scrub-jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Brown Creeper, and American Robin (683, previous high 394).

We missed Townsend's Warbler for the first time. A count of 1 Western Grebe was disturbingly low (previous low 23, previous high 245).

The count was hampered somewhat by the government shutdown, as the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge boat could not be used to access the more inaccessible islands (Marsh and Karlson Islands) of the Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge. Nevertheless, most islands were accessed via kayaks.

Thanks again to everyone for volunteering!