Last Saturday I attempted to locate the Northern Mockingbirds near
Vernita. I found the location and searched the area carefully about 10:00
AM. No birds of any kind. A half-hour earlier I saw two birds sitting on
a rail fence near the highway from Yakima to Vernita. They sat while I
got my scope on to my window mount. One was an adult Northern
Mockingbird, the other a juvenile. The adult flew off; the youngster
stayed until I drove off.

Three days on the upper St. Joe River in northern Idaho included
some great birding. Most interesting varieties for me were Gray Catbirds
(life bird for me... what strange calls!), Red Crossbill, Wild Turkey,
Western Wood Pewee, Solitary Vireo, Black-Chinned Hummingbird, Cassin's
Finch. Large numbers of Cedar Waxwings mingling with the swallows feeding
on hatching mayflies over the river.

Grant Hendrickson
ghendric at esd112.wednet.edu