An excellent week of birds
It started when I left work early one day to find a rare Snowy Egret in the Vancouver Lake Lowlands that was associating with a Great Egret and Mallard decoy. Also present were Greater Yellowlegs, a couple of hardy Tree and Barn Swallows, and Purple Finch, a year bird I was happy to see lower…
Seattle to Malheur to Astoria II
I stayed two nights in the historic Frenchglen Hotel. Established in 1916, the hotel has interesting history and rustic charm. The rooms are small and the bathrooms shared, but I was most excited for the family dining experience. I’m not usually into family dining, but in this setting I found it delightful and charming. Dinner…
Hits and misses at Broughton Beach
This summer has been rough at Broughton Beach. Early in the season, in hopes of a reported Least Sandpiper, I thought a quick stop after work would do. But when I arrived… No birds. Just big crowds of people. Big miss. Undeterred, I returned the following Saturday at 5:30am when I knew there’d be fewer people. So…