It may seem counterintuitive, but the arrival of inclement weather is actually quite a boon for the birding community. Where bluebird skies are wonderful to gaze upon and more friendly to stroll beneath, there’s nothing that brings new birds to the block better than a good old fashioned Pacific Northwest storm. Northern birds have been busy making babies in the hinterlands all summer. The arrival of winter-like storms is a sure signal that they’ll soon be headed south to find a more proper place where the climate suits their clothes. As the rains return so, too, do those migrating waterfowl. That makes November a prime month for catching a glimpse of swans, geese, ducks and other water birds on the wing. As dry fall turns to wet fall members of the Willapa Hills Audubon Society have reported several sightings of rare species in and around Cowlitz County. A Marbled Godwit was spotted in a Kalama wetland, marking just the second time that species has been documented in the county. Additionally, the second-ever local sighting of a broad-winged hawk was documented on a ridgeline just east of I-5 near Woodland. Pelicans have also been showing up sporadically, including a brown pelican that was observed resting on a sandbar in the Columbia River abnormally distant from its preferred saltwater habitat. That’s the thing about birding in bad weather — you never know what you’re going to find. The combination of disorienting deluges and fierce offshore winds can push birds far off course from their normal routes. That means even coastal birds can wind up stopping for a breather closer to the Cascade Mountains than the mouth of the Columbia River.  [full article]