Please send information about wildlife sightings to our Wildlife Sightings Chair.
To see some recent Washington State bird sightings go to the Tweeters list. To subscribe to Washington State Tweeters or to get more info about Tweeters visit WA Tweeters.
- Details
On December 27, during his daily walk around Lake Sacajawea in Longview, John Green found a dead Bald Eagle at the edge of the lake. It is illegal to collect wild birds, per the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, so he did not touch the bird, determined to find the proper action to take.
Upon arriving home, he called Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, who were not interested (maybe not their jurisdiction) and recommended to call Portland Audubon. Audubon gave him the number for the Federal Fish and Wildlife office. These folks have committed to picking up the bird, which upon their direction was stored in a plastic bag in his freezer. They advised that there is a demand for Native American ceremonial use and the feathers will be donated after a necropsy is performed to determine cause of death.
It has been determined that the eagle died in a collision with a motor vehicle probably in flight over the Washington Way bridge.
- Details
On September 20th Audubon Society of Portland’s wildlife rehab clinic released a male adult Bald Eagle at noon at Willow Grove Park.
The injured eagle had been picked up in the Abernathy Creek watershed suffering from lead poisoning caused by ingesting dead animals that had been shot. Vets repaired broken tail feathers using feathers from four other eagles in a process called “imping.”
About 20 people were able to watch the release, despite short notice. Several WHAS people attended, including Tom Finn, Bob Reistroffer and Darrel Whipple.
- Details
The year is at the half way point and all the breeding migrants have arrived, so this is a good time to see where we stand. I did a quick check of the 2012 list at the end of June and we have one more species on this years count. Amazing how similar that number is from year to year. Additions will be really slow for the remainder of the year, but they will mostly be species seen less than annually in the county.
- Details
The Gurnsey family live just outside of Longview in a country setting with a tree-filled backyard.
On May 30, Craig Gurnsey was sitting in his den when he heard a scratching noise coming from his deck. He went to the deck to investigate and was surprised to see a baby barred owl.
- Details
One of Darrel Whipple's resident Red-breasted Sapsuckers has found his instrument! Every day he hammers out his signature rhythmic cadence on the top end of a 16-foot aluminum ladder. The irony is Darrel put the ladder up at the corner of the house to keep the Sapsucker from making more holes in the wood siding. The tactic saved the house, but now Darrel is awakened every morning by the resonating ladder.