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By Russ Koppendrayer
Here at the end of April we are right in the midst of active spring migration with new species showing up nearly every day. The past five to ten years has seen a large jump in the active birders in Cowlitz County who are reporting their findings. This naturally has led to a more robust bird list at this juncture in time.Thanks to all who are involved in some way.
Along with all the expected species there were a number of less expected species found in Cowlitz County in the last half of April. The rarest of these was a third ever county record of Long-billed Curlew that was heard calling as it flew over Barlow Point Road and a little later found on the ground along Industrial Way. Amazingly this bird was joined within minutes by a flock of eleven Whimbrels of which the county has only a handful of records. Unfortunately the views of these spectacular large sandpipers with long decurved bills were not shared as they had left before other birders arrived.
Just as rare for the past eighteen years was a White-tailed Kite, also found at Barlow Point Road and enjoyed by many birders over a few days. Once a resident species and breeder, they are now a rare visitor with many years between appearances. Another great find was a couple Brown Pelicans in the Lewis River at the Woodland Bottoms. Very unusual for this species to be away from salt water in Washington, these two immature birds were found fishing and roosting in the area in mid April and have continued to the present writing in early May.
Here's to more great birding as spring migration continues to heat up through May.
Download the pdf here.
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By Russ Koppendrayer
Migration continued bringing new species throughout the month of March into Cowlitz County. Twelve new species were added to our composite year list. Nine expected species were bookended by three code 4 species on the first and last days of the month. Code 4 means that these species have been found more than five times in the county, but are seen less than annually. On March 1st a Swainson's Hawk was found in the Woodland Bottoms. This bird was in an unusual plumage that may have been a young bird just molting into its adult plumage. Also unusual was the date this bird was found. Either incredibly early or trying to overwinter, it belonged either farther south or in eastern Washington habitats. This species does incorrectly show as Code 5 on the current list, but that is wrong as there have been at least seven previous records. I'll try to have that corrected for the 2027 list.
Also found on March 1st was a Swamp Sparrow at Canal Road. A species that winters in Washington in small numbers, it likes to skulk in weedy, brushy wet places. A nice find by residents in that area.
And finally thirty days later on March 31st an American Goshawk was seen in flight in the foothills in the eastern part of the county. Quite possibly a migrating bird as this species is more prevalent east of the Cascades and farther north into Canada and Alaska. Certainly not impossible that it is a resident bird however.
Keep your eyes and ears open as migration will continue to ramp up over the next couple months.
Download the pdf here.
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By Russ Koppendrayer
While we didn't find any super rarities in the first month of 2026, we did come across some very interesting birds. A White-winged Scoter at the Woodland Bottoms and a couple Yellow-headed Blackbirds on the Kalama waterfront were the only species found that were less than annual, but each has numerous records of occurrence.
We also had a few species seen that are not typically viewed as winter species. First was a Sora found at Canal Road that liked a spot out in the open and was seen repeatedly and by a number of birders. While most individuals of this species migrate farther south in the winter there have been winter records in the past. Many of these records are from birders who comment that the bird was silent. As they can be quite skulky and more frequently heard than seen, is it possible that there are more wintering individuals than we believe?
A species that seems to have an odd pattern of being present in western Washington winters is Barn Swallow. After their nesting season they seem to be entirely gone by late September. Increasingly over the years they reappear in small numbers around the first of December and continue to be found until late January. then rarely spotted again until late March when they begin to arrive in bigger numbers. If these are indeed birds trying to overwinter, where do they go in the windows of time they are not seen? What explains this pattern if they are not spending the winter?
Always more to learn about birds.
Download the pdf here.
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By Russ Koppendrayer
We had a productive last three months of 2025. In addition to picking up a few of our missing annual species, we managed to locate White-winged Scoter, Eared Grebe and Swamp Sparrow, all of which are less than annual in Cowlitz County.
But the stars of the period were a pair of Black Scoters that graced the Columbia River at the Woodland Bottoms for a few days in mid November. A first ever record for the county, the male and female were together and seen by many observers. This was the second new addition to our county's bird list in 2025, with the other being the Parasitic Jaeger found in September.
We are now off and running with a new year of birding. Here's to a great 2026.
Download the pdf here.
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By Russ Koppendrayer
Attached is the Cowlitz Year List updated through the end of September. This report is my first ever to include three months. We experienced a fairly slow July and August when we added four species, all of which we expect to find in that time frame in most years.
But that changed in the middle of September when a Parasitic Jaeger was found at Sportsman Club Road. True to its nature of making its living by harassing terns and gulls to get them to drop their food, it was in hot pursuit of a couple gulls. Occasionally found along the Columbia River in fall migration, it seemed like an overdue addition to our Cowlitz bird list. A few days later a Sanderling made an appearance in the Woodland Bottoms. Still less than annual, we've been finding this species more regularly in recent years.
On the penultimate day in September a Rusty Blackbird was found in the massive mixed species blackbird and starling flock dining on the spilled grain at the elevator at the mouth of the Kalama River.This was the fifth record for this species in Cowlitz County. Then on the final day of the month a Pectoral Sandpiper was located at Canal Road. While we find juvenile birds of this species during most fall migrations, this was a first for Canal Road. The incredibly dry summer has dried most more typical locations we find Pectorals, it also untypically produced mud flats at Canal Road in September and increased the number of shorebirds seen there.
Here's hoping for an exciting last three birding months to 2025 in Cowlitz County.
Download the pdf here.