Vancouver Lake
It’s been a while since I’ve seen a new sparrow. Certainly not for lack of trying. Since before the first of this year, I’ve looked for little brown birds with that extra bit of flair at several locations including Jackson Bottom, Fernhill Wetlands, Ridgefield NWR, Sauvie Island, and Vancouver Lake. But still no luck. So when…
Eastward to Walla Walla, part II
Day 2 in Walla Walla I arrived at Bennignton Lake early enough to see the sky full of stars and to hear a Great Horned Owl pair hooting, “Who’s awake? Me toooo.” The trail system is fantastic. 20 miles wind through 600 acres of woodlands and meadows surrounding the lake. The lake was set up by…
Eastward to Walla Walla
Last year, every bird was a life bird. By mid-February 2015 I had seen 77 new-to-me bird species. 77 lifers! I didn’t even know what a “lifer” was then. Over my first year birding, I saw 253 life birds. Not that I’m counting. But, yeah, I’m counting. So far this year I’ve seen 98 species (year birds), but only…