2014 Cowlitz County Bird List (January Update)
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Another year with a nice start, mostly due to a fine Christmas Bird Count on New Years Day. The headliner was the second ever record of Rusty Blackbird for Cowlitz County found on 52nd Ave in west Longview. A Sora found the same day on Washburn Road was very unusual for winter. Keep those reports coming.
You find our bird lists here.
May - June 2014 Whistler is online
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The May / JUne 2014 Whistler is available now.
Read more of its content:
- Indian Jack Slough Update
- New Board Officers Announced
- Membership Form,
- WHAS contact information
- Board Meeting Notes
- Washington Birding Trail ID’s Lake Sacajawea
- Update on Conservation Concerns
- Wood Duck Boxes installed
- Images from recent field trip to Woodland Bottoms
- Earth Day Booth a Big Success
- WHAS Programs and Field Trips;
WHAS recent Field Trip featured in The Daily News
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Willapa Hills Audubon's recent field trip to local birding locations at an industrial park, a sewage lagoon and a mothballed nuclear power plant was featured in Longview's The Daily News. The participants spotted 51st species that morning including a rare (for Longview) red-shouldered hawk at Willow Grove.
2014 Cowlitz Columbia CBC Recap
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By Bob Reistroffer
23 field observers and eight feeder watchers joined and spent the cool sunny day finding 17,172 birds with 98 species recorded during the 33rd Cowlity Columbia Christmas Bird Count. The temperature ranged from 21° to 41°. Also during count week an additional 7 species were reported.
We had several high counts: 54 Pied-billed Grebes, 430 Northern Shovelers, 225 Buffelheads, 78 Hooded Mergansers, 4 Cooper’s Hawks, 2 Red-shouldered Hawks, 72 Red-tailed Hawks, 22 Bald Eagles, 264 Mourning Doves, 24 Kingfishers, 24 Downy Woodpeckers, 11 Red-breasted Sapsuckers, 23 Common Ravens, 70 Chestnut-backed Chickadees, 22 Red-breasted Nuthatchs, 946 Oregon Dark-eyed Juncos, 175 White-crowned Sparrows, and 510 Golden-crowned Sparrows.
Seen during count week: Green Heron, Rough-legged Hawk, Long-billed Dowitcher, Horned Lark, Pygmy Owl, Saw-whet Owl, and Gray Jay.
Not seen for many years: 1 Hutton’s Vireo, 4 Brown-headed Cowbirds.
Thank you all for a great job. Hope to see you all next year on Friday, Jan 1, 2016.
January - February 2014 Whistler is online
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The January / February 2014 Whistler is available now.
Read more of its content:
- Lake Sacajawea Bird Walk and Social Recap
- Membership Form,
- WHAS contact information
- Amphibian Egg Mass Training
- Bald Eagle found at Lake Sacajawea
- Christmas Bird Count Recap
- Are Your Birds Southbound, Just Arriving, or Homebodies
- Thea Linnaea Pyle: Naturalist,
- WHAS Officer nomination form
- Book Review: The Snow Geese
- WHAS Programs and Field Trips;
2014 Leadbetter Point Count Recap
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By Suzy Whittey ~ Organizer ~ Long Beach, WA
I want to thank the 23 property owners who live around Willapa Bay and other key locations that granted the 42 birders in 8 sectors access to count birds on December 20, 2014 for the 115th Annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count. The information gathered in the Christmas Bird Counts that happened all across North America is invaluable to ornithologists who monitor bird populations.
The hardy birders, some who traveled over 100 miles to have the opportunity to count birds in Pacific County braved a wet and windy day with posted high surf advisories that did not allow the Pacific beach to be counted this year. But the stormy weather brought species like Red Phalaropes, Western Sandpipers and Snowy Plovers inland to be seen in puddles along G Street in Surfside and the Beach Barron Field on Sandridge Road. The Bay Center Group saw 7 Snow Geese and 16,000 Dunlin in Willapa Bay. But, their highlight was a rare sighting of a Townsend Solitaire. Other groups documented a Barred Owl, Wilson Snipe, Canvasback Ducks, Eurasian Widgeon, White-winged Scoter, Trumpeter Swans and Spotted Sandpipers just to mention a few.
Even though the number of birds and the number of species were down this year, most of it can be attributed to the stormy weather. Thank you birders for your time and expertise in making the Leadbetter Christmas Bird Count a huge success. I also want to thank the Berry Patch Restaurant in Ocean Park and the Hunters Inn in Naselle for serving us breakfast and dinner.
We had several high counts: 3 American Bitterns, 32 Great Egrets, 221 Buffleheads, 69 Ruddy Duck,s 306 Eurasian Collared-Doves, 24 Belted Kingfishers, 29 Anna’s Hummingbirds, 20 Common Ravens 13 Brown Creepers, 25 Western Meadowlarks.
Seen during count week: 5 Cinnamon Teals, 1 Ruffed Grouse, 1 Ring-billed Gulls, 1 Horned Larks, 3 Cedar Waxwings.
New to the count this year: 1 Sora, 1 Rusty Blackbird
Thank you to Don Coggswell, Darrel Whipple, Stephen & Irene Bachhuber, Jeff Jendro, Julius & Sue Strid, Rachelle Rogers, Ramona Leber, Russ Koppendrayer, John & Margaret Green, Rachel Perry, Sam Sudar, Denise & James Caldwell, Charlotte Persons, Mary Huels, Becky Kent, and Pat & Bob Reistroffer for a great job.
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2014 Great Backyard Bird Count February 14 - 17 The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers |
Dead Eagle found in Longview
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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.
November - December 2013 Whistler is online
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The November / December 2013 Whistler is available now.
Read more of its content:
- Bald Eagle Released at Willow Grove Park
- Welcome back Pacific County Auduboners
- Membership Application Form,
- A special Memorial Gift
- Christmas Bird Count Information
- WHAS helps with Forestry Day
- Washington Audubon, WHAS and Coal,
- Highlights of State Audubon Meetings
- Update on LNG
- Book Review: Freeway Birding: San Francisco to Seattle
- WHAS Programs and Field Trips;
How the NorthWest Weather can affect bird migration
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Cliff Mass provides some interesting news of how the weather radar can be used to track and check on bird migration. Over the last week we had mostly wind from the south and birds don't like headwinds. Recently this has changed and now the birds are really on the move.
September - October 2013 Whistler is online
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The September / October 2013 Whistler is available now.
Read more of its content:
- Bird Report from a summer in Alaska
- Fall events
- Membership Application Form,
- WHAS contact information
- Photo impressions form WHAS picnic
- HE” Hope & Endurance
- DVD Review: Nature: An Original DUCKumentary
- Visitors seen in the Kastberg’s garden
- WHAS Programs and Field Trips;
- Bald Eagle Released at Willow Grove Park
- UPDATED! Injured Bald Eagle will be realeased healthy
- July - August 2013 Whistler is online
- Barred Owls Camp Out in Longview Yard
- Cowlitz County Bird List's June update
- Red-breasted Sapsucker has found his instrument
- May - June 2013 Whistler is online
- March - April 2013 Whistler is online
- Indian Jack Slough Amphibian Survey
- Cowlitz County Bird List (January 2013 update)