Julia Butler Hansen NWR - Field Trip Report
Last Updated on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 11:41 Written by John Green Tuesday, 16 February 2010 11:41
A group of fifteen hardy souls braved the rain for four hours during the January 30th field trip to Julia Butler Hansen National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge, just west of Cathlamet, is a wonderful place to find good birds, without enduring a long road trip. Trip leader, Alan Richards was able to find 44 species to make a dreary day bright indeed.
A highlight was the cross walky-talky bantering between Alan and Andrew Emlen (local naturalist and WHAS member) over a mystery sharp-shinned-merlin-cooper’s cross(Ha!!!?) which dove into the underbrush before a proper ID could be made. It was great fun to hear two good birders ticking off traits that supported their point of view. The bird list follows:
Cackling Goose, Canada Goose, Tundra Swan, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, American Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Greater Scaup, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Glaucous-winged/Western Gull Hybrid, Pied-billed Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Killdeer, Belted Kingfisher, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Steller's Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, Bewick's Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, Europeam Starling, Spotted Towhee, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Pine Siskin
