Steigerwald Lake

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge Watchable Wildlife In order to see birds it is necessary to become part of the silence. - Robert Lynd Introduction Steigerwald Lake NWR A wide variety of birds await the patient observer at Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Located in the Columbia River Gorge, at the crossroads of the Cascade Mountain Range and the Columbia River, birds from the east can be found among those of the west at this near sea-level passage. Bird List Key c Seasonal Abundance Codes Over 200 of the 300 bird species seen in Clark County, Washington have been observed on this relatively small refuge, making Steigerwald Lake an excellent birding destination. A number of habitats support this diverse bird population, including riparian forest along Gibbons Creek, seasonal wetlands, grasslands and oak forested uplands. Enjoying Wildlife When looking at a bird, pay close attention to characteristics like color, size, shape, wing and head markings. Always observe first and then refer to your identification book, because the bird may move out of sight quickly. This is especially true of perching birds. Also, be sure to listen for their calls and sounds. Take note of the type of habitat in which you see the bird, and where in the habitat they are likely to be found—canopy, tree trunk, brushy areas, open water or on the ground. u - Uncommon – usually present but may not be seen or heard o - Occasional – seen or heard only a few times per season r - Rare – unlikely to be seen or heard a - Accidental - less than five records Sp - Spring – March through May S - Summer – June through July F - Fall – August through November The Gibbons Creek Wildlife Art Trail offers Refuge visitors the chance to experience and learn about wildlife and the places they call home. As a guest in their home, your visit will be most successful if you move slowly, talk softly, use binoculars and leave only footprints behind. The trail is open year-round from dawn until dusk. A seasonal spur is closed from October 1 – April 30 to provide sanctuary for wintering waterfowl. Observation Tips Seasons - Common – likely to be seen or heard W - Winter – December through February Marsh wren Birds of Steigerwald Lake NWR Common Name Loons Common Loon Grebes Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Eared Grebe Western Grebe Cormorants Double-crested Cormorant Bitterns, Herons and Egrets American Bittern Great Blue Heron Great Egret Cattle Egret Green Heron Black-crowned Night-Heron Sp S r c o W u c o c o u o a a o o u r u u u c r u c o r u r o r u c u a r a Ibises and Spoonbills White-faced Ibis a a New World Vultures Turkey Vulture c c Swans, Geese and Ducks Greater White-fronted Goose Snow Goose Ross’s Goose Brant Cackling Goose Canada Goose Mute Swan Trumpeter Swan Tundra Swan Wood Duck Gadwall Eurasian Wigeon American Wigeon Mallard Blue-winged Teal Cinnamon Teal F o o c u r a r r u c o r u c r c c c c u a r r c r c u o r a c c o r c c r c c u c u o c u o c u c Common Name Sp S F W Northern Shoveler Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Canvasback Redhead Ring-necked Duck Tufted Duck Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup Surf Scoter Long-tailed Duck Bufflehead Common Goldeneye Barrow’s Goldeneye Hooded Merganser Common Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Ruddy Duck u o c r o c o r r r u o u r o o c c c o a c a u c Osprey, Kites, Hawks and Eagles Osprey White-tailed Kite Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Sharp-shinned Hawk Cooper’s Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk Swainson’s Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Ferruginous Hawk Rough-legged Hawk Golden Eagle Red-tailed hawk © Ken Morris o c c r r u o o r o u a a o r a o r r r r c c u c o a u c r a u c o r o a c a o c c a r c o a u o a r a c u r o c o a Common Name Falcons and Caracaras American Kestrel Merlin Gyrfalcon Peregrine Falcon Prairie Falcon Sp S o o r F W u u u a a o a o Gallinaceous Birds Ring-necked Pheasant California Quail r r r r r r r r Rails Virginia Rail Sora American Coot o o c o u u u r u r Cranes Sandhill Crane a Plovers Semipalmated Plover Killdeer u Stilts and Avocets Black-necked Stilt American Avocet a a Sandpipers and Phalaropes Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs u o Greater yellowlegs u r u u u u c o o Common Name Solitary Sandpiper Spotted Sandpiper Long-billed Curlew Sanderling Semipalmated Sandpiper Western Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Baird’s Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Dunlin Short-billed Dowitcher Long-billed Dowitcher Wilson’s Snipe Wilson’s Phalarope Red-necked Phalarope Red Phalarope Skuas, Jaegers, Gulls and Terns Bonaparte’s Gull Mew Gull Ring-billed Gull California Gull Herring Gull Thayer’s Gull Glaucous-winged Gull Glaucous Gull Caspian Tern Sp S r r a u o o a u c r F a u r o r r r r r r o o u o r a u u r a a r r r o u u o r c u r o u o o r o o o o Pigeons and Doves Rock Pigeon Band-tailed Pigeon Eurasian Collared-Dove Mourning Dove o a u u o u u c u o Barn Owls Barn Owl r r o o c r o Typical Owls Western Screech-Owl Great Horned Owl Snowy Owl Burrowing Owl Short-eared Owl r o o W o o u u o u r c a o a u o o a a o o Common Name Sp S F o o Vireos Cassin’s Vireo Warbling Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Crows, Jays and Magpies Steller’s Jay Western Scrub-Jay American Crow Common Raven Swifts Black Swift Vaux’s Swift o r c Hummingbirds Anna’s Hummingbird Calliope Hummingbird Rufous Hummingbird o r o o r o o Kingfishers Belted Kingfisher u u c Woodpeckers Lewis’s Woodpecker Red-breasted Sapsucker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Tyrant Flycatchers Western Wood-Pewee Willow Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Gray Flycatcher Dusky Flycatcher Pacific-slope Flycatcher Black Phoebe Say’s Phoebe Ash-throated Flycatcher Western Kingbird Eastern Kingbird Shrikes Loggerhead Shrike Northern Shrike u u c u c o o o o o c u a a a u o a r c o c u o a o a r o o o r a r a r a a r Common Name Sp S o o r c c o o r o c c o F a r Swallows Purple Martin Tree Swallow Violet-green Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Cliff Swallow Barn Swallow u c u u © Matt Macgillivray r o u r a c c c u o c c c c u a u c u u u u a u c r Titmice and Chickadees Black-capped Chickadee Chestnut-backed Chickadee o a u c o Bushtits Bushtit r o o r a c r Nuthatches Red-breasted Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch u o Creepers Brown Creeper r r u c c c u u u u o a r r o r o Wrens Bewick’s Wren House Wren Winter Wren Marsh Wren White-breasted nuthatch W o o Larks Horned Lark o u r o a W Kinglets Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet r u o Common Name Thrushes Mountain Bluebird Townsend’s Solitaire Swainson’s Thrush Hermit Thrush American Robin Varied Thrush Mimic Thrushes Sage Thrasher Starlings European Starling Sp S F W a a o c c c u a c a a o r a c Wagtails and Pipits American Pipit r Waxwings Cedar Waxwing o c c r c c r c Wood Warblers Orange-crowned Warbler Nashville Warbler Yellow Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Gray Warbler Townsend’s Warbler Palm Warbler MacGillivray’s Warbler Common Yellowthroat Wilson’s Warbler Yellow-breasted Chat Tanagers Western Tanager Sparrows and Towhees Spotted Towhee Chipping Sparrow Clay-colored Sparrow Brewer’s Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Fox Sparrow Song Sparrow u r o o o a a o u r r u o r r a u c u c u o r c a o o r r u r u r o r Common Name Lincoln’s Sparrow Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Harris’s Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Golden-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Lapland Longspur c c a u u c W u a r a u u o a r u Cardinals, Grosbeaks and Allies Black-headed Grosbeak Lazuli Bunting o u c o o u Blackbirds and Orioles Red-winged Blackbird Western Meadowlark Yellow-headed Blackbird Brewer’s Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Bullock’s Oriole c u r o c o c r r o c c c o u u u r u u r c r r c o r c c c r a c o c o o Finches Purple Finch House Finch Pine Siskin Lesser Goldfinch American Goldfinch Old World Sparrows House Sparrow o u u r F a a u u o a a a c u c Sp S American robin © Ken Morris r r a o u u a r Mammals of the Gorge Refuges Species Presence Common Name The following lists of mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and fish include species that have been verified through biological surveys to occur within the Columbia River Gorge National Wildlife Refuges (Steigerwald Lake NWR, Franz Lake NWR, Pierce NWR). The remaining are potential species obtained from various publications. V - (•) Verified Species Common Name V Pouched Mammals Common opossum • Shrews and Moles Shrew-mole Coast mole Townsend mole Dusky shrew Water shrew Vagrant shrew Bats Big brown bat Silver-haired bat Western red bat Hoary bat • • • • • Little brown myotis © Ken Morris California myotis Western long-eared bat Little brown myotis Long-legged bat Yuma bat Big-eared bat Pikas, Rabbits and Hares Brush rabbit Eastern cottontail Rodents Beaver Gray-tailed vole Creeping (Oregon) vole Townsend vole Nutria Muskrat Deer mouse Eastern gray squirrel Western gray squirrel Beechey ground squirrel Townsends chipmunk Douglas squirrel Mazama pocket gopher Brush prairie gopher Northern pocket gopher Pacific jumping mouse V • • • • • • • • • • • • • Carnivores Coyote Mountain lion Bobcat River otter Striped skunk Long-tailed weasel Mink Racoon Black bear Red fox • • • • • • • • • • Hoofed Mammals Roosevelt elk Black-tailed deer • • Amphibians & Reptiles of the Gorge Refuges Fish of the Gorge Refuges Common Name Common Name Salamanders Northwestern salamander Long-toed salamander Ensatina Larch Mountain salamader Western red-back salamander Cascade torrent salamander Rough-skinned newt V • • • • • • Frogs and Toads Western toad Pacific chorus frog Northern red-legged frog Bullfrog • • • • Turtles Western painted turtle Western pond turtle • • Lizards Northern alligator lizard Snakes Rubber boa Northwestern garter snake Red-spotted (common) garter snake • • Rough-skinned newt © Andy Purviance Green sturgeon White sturgeon Chiselmouth American shad Yellow bullhead Brown bullhead Goldfish Longnose sucker Bridgelip sucker Largescale sucker Riffle sculpin Torrent sculpin Carp Threespine stickleback Channel catfish River lamprey Pumpkinseed Bluegill Smallmouth bass Largemouth bass Sea-run cutthroat trout Chum salmon Coho salmon Sockeye salmon Rainbow trout Steelhead Chinook salmon Yellow perch Sandroller Starry flounder White crappie Black crappie Mountain whitefish Northern pike-minnow Longnosed dace Redside shiner Brown trout Bull trout Walleye Eulachon (smelt) V • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Northern harrier Field Notes © Roger Windemuth Have you seen me lately? Date & time Observer Weather Species Behavior Comments Date & time Observer Weather Species Behavior Comments If you find a rare, accidental or unlisted species, please share your observations with us. And remember, a picture is worth a thousand words. Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge 35501 SE Evergreen Hwy Washougal, WA 98671 Telephone: 360/835-8767 Fax: 360/835-9780 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service http://www.fws.gov Refuge Information 1 800/344 WILD October 2010 Cover photo Purple martin/Photograph by Dori Inside front cover photo Great blue heron/© Dave Olson