In message <2F15D5C7 at mailgate.ecy.wa.gov> writes:
>
> Twenty-five Western Tanagers; two score Northern Orioles; a dozen Solitary
> Vireos! Such sights, not uncommon at Malheur, Oregon, or at other migrant
> traps throughout the west during spring migration, are unthinkable in
> Washington.
>
> Why doesn't Washington have any good migrant traps? For years I have
> wondered this question. A good migrant trap, it seems, usually involves
> some geographic feature which funnels migrant birds into a small area of
> prime habitat surrounded by miles of poor habitat. A natural area for tired
> migrants to settle in for the night.
>
> It doesn't take a keen imagination to identify a number of candidates for
> migrant traps in Washington. We have vast areas of desert scrub spotted
> with little oasis areas; we have mountain ranges to restrict movement, and
> river systems to channel migration. We have marine crossings with
> well-defined landfalls. But, to my knowledge, we do not have a single
> dependable migrant trap area anywhere in the state, save for shorebirds and
> to some extent raptors.
>
> Good fortune occasionally treats us to a small flock of this or that moving
> through an area, but are there any locations in Washington where one can go,
> year after year, and expect to see sizeable spring flocks of orioles or
> tanagers or vireos moving northward? I have become so accustomed to seeing
> our migrant birds in little, random family groups or singles that I find
> myself gawking in awe on those rare occasions when I see a real migrating
> flock.
>
> Any ideas why we are so "trap poor"?
>
I was fledged in Eastern Oregon (a Scarlet Tanager can have a profound
influence on a teenage birder too poor to travel) and needless to say
gravitated to The Refuge Headquaters, Fields/Pike Creek, etc. So when
I moved to Eastern Washington I started looking for migrant traps. I think
I've found one! To answer the question directly could it be no birder has flown
over or has extensive knowledge of Douglas, Lincoln, Adams, etc. counties?
Remember our (biology teachers/Washington field scientists) hero J. Harlen
Bretz.
How about 55 male Western Tanagers in the same tree! or 35 Ruby-crowned
Kinglets in one 42' mist net, with over 100 caught in 3 hours! Does this
qualify as a migrant trap? Three vireo species, five flycatcher species,
Black-and-White Warbler, American Redstart, Northern Waterthrush... were
all recorded (banded or sighted) in an amazing spot in Douglas County.
The BLM (specifically a Wildlife Biologist named Neal Hedges) has known
about this canyon for years and aggressively acquired land and established
an exclosure. They plan to 'develop' it into a "Watchable Wildlife Site".
For a more complete account see WASHINGTON BIRDER vol. 2 #4 pg. 1.
Douglas Creek is easy to get to (Delorme Atlas, Pg. 68 A-1). About seven
miles east of Waterville turn south (pay attention to the geology as you
cross the plateau and drop into the canyon. (H Road becomes Stotts Road becomes
Slack Canyon Road). My study site is about 8 miles south of Hwy 2. Please
report *any* sightings to me. Enjoy!

Dan Stephens (509) 662-7443
Dept. of Biology fax: (509) 664-2538
Wenatchee Valley College e-mail: dstephen at ctc.edu
1300 Fifth Street
Wenatchee, WA 98801