21 Sep 2000
Andy, Hi!
      After spending 9 hours in the air, I reflected on what part of a bird's anatomy would be fatigued after such a long flight.  The conclusion was that it's undertail coverts would be in a better condition than mine. Eventually we passed through Seattle customs and staggered on to the next leg, a 3 hour bumper to bumper drive to Portland, Oregon, where we arrived 'anything but' bright eyed and bushy tailed! As my head hit the pillow I thought of renewing acquaintances with some West Coast favourites, and perhaps some new ones.

09/22:
High pressure reigned on the first day, but it came down with U force 4-5 easterly wind, Br-r-r-r!  However, I managed to get to grips with the following:- Scrub Jay, Black-capped Chicadee, Downy Woodpecker, Brewer's Blackbird, Vaux's Swift, Pied-billed Grebe, American Coot, Killdeer, Great Blue Heron, and 30 Long-billed Dowitchers.  (Thank God for range maps, and call differences.) American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Barn Swallow, and American Crow.

09/23:
A 'family day out' to the Pacific Coast, (1 1/2 hour drive) high pressure again, but this time without the wind.  The birding was more relaxed and came secondary to the day, thus the tally was perhaps again 'a little modest' :- Brown Pelican, Western Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Thayer's Gull, Pelagic Cormorant, and an old favourite of mine, Harlequin Duck.

09/24:
High Temp. again, 25 C.  Most of the day was spent on my undertail coverts, overlooking a small lake opposite my daughter's house.  Things starting to 'hot up' in more ways than one.:-  Belted Kingfisher, Townsend's Warbler, Cedar Waxwing, American Robin, Fox Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Red-tailed Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Turkey Vulture, Bush Tit, and a poor immature Varied Thrush.

WATCH THIS SPACE........ KEN

09/25:
26C, PHEW!  Back to the lake again.  Bad views of a Yellow Warbler, L.B. Dows. have risen to 45 and Killdeer to 4, today unexpectedly I got a 'Life Tick' Greater Yellowlegs, absolutely superb views down to 70 metres, call notes Tew-Tew-Tew-Tew-Tew sounds very much like Greenshank.

09/26:
Heading to Mount Hood elevation 11,000 ft, but we'll go to the road summit of approx. 5,000ft.  When we arrived at a car park off the road we encountered Gray Day, Oregon Junco, a superb Yellow Rumped Warbler, and a Chestnut Backed Chickadee. Heading South East towards Bend, Oregon where en route from the car we mopped up Red Tailed Hawk (not uncommon,) AM. Kestrel (Just the one,) Townsends Solitaire, Western Meadowlark, Western Bluebird, Raven, Magpie, and Turkey Vulture.

09/27:
Stopped off in the mountains, Southern Oregon, where we had Steller's Jay, Grey Jay, Clark's Nutcracker, Yellow Rumped Warbler (many,) Pine Siskin, Sharp Shinned Hawk, and my second Avian life tick, Pygmy Nuthatch.

09/28:
Heading West to the Coast en route to the Pacific, we mopped up Egret, Caspian Tern, Western Grebe, AM. Bittern, Northern Harrier, and D.C. Cormorant.  When we arrived at the Coast to our horror there was heavy sea-mist which reduced our performance somewhat.  However, we managed to bag Surfbird, Wandering Tattler, Heerman's Gull, (mostly 1st/2nd year birds,) Mourning Dove, Surf Scoter (many,) Marbled Murrelet, Sooty Sheerwater, Common Loon, Common Murre, White Pelican, and another life tick, Rhino. Auklet,(not brilliant views) several seen in flight and on the water.

Keep watching this space, regards Ken.