2019 Cowlitz County Bird List - October Update

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Ferruginous Hawk - Image courtesy of Terry Anderson
Ferruginous Hawk - Image courtesy of Terry Anderson

By Russ Koppendrayer

During the last couple months Cowlitz County was graced with the presence of some species rarely seen here.

The county's third record of Red-necked Phalarope was found at the former Longview Sewage Ponds and remained for at least four days. Our second record of Heermann's Gull was on a sandbar near the mouth of the Kalama River, but flew off shortly after being photographed by the initial observer.

While each of these was a fun find, the star of the period was a Ferruginous Hawk that was regularly seen by numerous people in the Woodland Bottoms during its stay of over two weeks. Not only was this the first ever record of Ferruginous Hawk in Cowlitz County, but this denizen of remote spots of the arid west during summer has only made a handful of appearances in western Washington. Most of those were just fly overs such that this bird was only the second to be photographed in the wetter side of the state.

Download the pdf here.

 

Ferruginous Hawk - Image courtesy of Terry Anderson
Ferruginous Hawk - Image courtesy of Terry Anderson

Rainier Vaux's Swift Observation Results

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With a total of 38 observations during the southbound migration, the Rainier, Ore Riverside Community Church chimney scored the third highest overall number of swifts (185,890), the second highest average count (4,892), and the second highest one-night count (17,889), compared to the 14 other major roost sites on the flyway. See this chart from Larry Schwitters on his website.
 
Congratulations, volunteers and supporters — a magnificent achievement for the birds and citizen science!
 
 

Video of Vaux's Swift in Rainier Ore

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WHAS is actively monitoring the population of Vaux's Swifts by counting the birds as they enter their regular stopping places during the northbound migration in May and the southbound migration in September. 

Check out this video (click on the image)  taken on September 20 by Diane Yorgason-Quinn:

9-20-19 - And they're going in!

Don’t miss the show at Riverside Community Church, lower parking lot in Rainier, Oregon. The first birds entered the chimney around 7:30pm on September 20th.

2019 Cowlitz County Bird List - August Update

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Eastern Kingbird babies waiting to be fed - Image (digiscoped) courtesy of Russ Koppendrayer
Eastern Kingbird babies waiting to be fed - Image (digiscoped) courtesy of Russ Koppendrayer

By Russ Koppendrayer

In the last two months we have only added three species to our Cowlitz list. Semipalmated and Baird's Sandpipers were both seen in August as is frequently the case. For whatever reason these two species fit with some other shorebird species that migrate north through the middle of the continent in spring, but a few are found going through Washington in the fall. Also found was a Yellow-headed Blackbird which are not seen every year in the county, but seem to pop up at any time of year when they do appear.
 
Our big thrill for the time period was confirming breeding of the Eastern Kingbird pair first found at the Toutle Sediment Retention Dam on June 18. Further monitoring of these birds led us to suspect nesting, but this was confirmed on August 2 when two recently fledged chicks were observed being fed by two adults. This third ever record of Eastern Kingbird in Cowlitz County resulted in the first ever record of breeding here.

Download the pdf here.

Fall 2019 Whistler is online

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The Fall 2019 Whistler is available now.

 

Click to Download the pdf

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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Cassins Auklet - Image courtesy of Duncan Wright
Cassins Auklet - Image courtesy of Duncan Wright

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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Dusky Flycatcher - Image courtesy of Mxmerce
Dusky Flycatcher - Image courtesy of Mxmerce

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

Details

The Summer 2019 Whistler is available now.

 

Click to Download the pdf

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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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

Details
Male Calliope - Image courtesy of Kai Fleming
Male Calliope - Image courtesy of Kati Fleming

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.

Upcoming Events

Oct 25;
WHAS Regular Board Meeting
Dec 28;
Cowlitz Columbia CBC

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