By Tom Tinsley
Despite the very wet and occasionally breezy conditions, thirteen dedicated PNW birders joined Cindy McCormack for Vancouver Audubon’s November first of month bird walk. Our walk began in the Vancouver Water Resources building parking lot with a quick round of introductions. We then headed for the Columbia River on the waterfront trail to Tidewater Cove hoping to see loons, mergansers, and grebes “Oh My”. Bird activity on the river was pretty slow presumably due to the inclement weather.
We did have some great looks at a female Belted Kingfisher in the marina. From Tidewater Cove the group headed to Marine Park for a quick look at the “gull bar/rock spit”. The river’s water level was up a bit, so the bar was small with only a few of the “usual suspects”. In all a total of 43 species were observed and/or heard by various members of our group including 2 Hooded and 11 Common mergansers, 7 Pied-billed grebes, and no loons. We all had an opportunity to check out the effectiveness of our foul weather gear. For as they say, “winter is coming”.
Vancouver Audubon 