[obol] Bybee Lake AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS (Mult. County)

[Elaine Stewart]

There were 13 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS loafing and feeding in Bybee Lake this morning, in clear view from the paved trail and Bybee Lake viewing blind.  At one point they were within 150 feet of the shore.  The same area (NE corner of Bybee Lake) is teeming with PIE-BILLED GREBES, GREAT BLUE HERONS, GREAT EGRETS, AMERICAN COOTS, MALLARDS and WOOD DUCKS.  Shorebirds were in the distance.  Last week I saw Wilson's Snipe and Greater Yellowlegs, but not this morning.  Drawdown of the wetlands is complete and Bybee is largely tidal now, so shorebird numbers will hopefully increase.  (Smith Lake will not draw down fully because of a beaver dam in the channel between the wetlands that is holding water in Smith.) 

Keep an eye on the upland too.  Last week I had a Cooper's Hawk and Peregrine Falcon in the same view.  (The Cooper's was pretty uneasy...)

-Elaine

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Elaine Stewart
Natural Resources Scientist
Metro
600 NE Grand Avenue
Portland, OR  97232-2736

Tel 503.797.1515
Fax 503.797.1849
stewarte at metro.dst.or.us
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