Last Saturday (6/10/95) several of us repeated our trip down the Yakima
River Canyon. Not a hugely productive day for birds but seeing a large
number of PRFA and watching them fly, feed and interact was awsome. The
Umtanum creek valley was rich in bird songs. Our primary focus were the
PRFA so we did not check out the bird songs on the other side of the
creek. If you don't mind the potential company of rattlesnakes this area
seems to be a good birding area that I haven't seen mentioned much.

Point 0 on the trip, just beyond the I-90 overpass over Canyonroad in
Ellensburg which is Hwy821.
Brewer's Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbirds
Killdeer behind gas station a few blocks back.

Along river, 8.5 miles from I-90 on Hwy 821
Common Raven
Red-winged Blackbirds
Eastern Kingbird
Violet-green Swallow
Brown swallow ???
Cliff Swallow
Common Merganser, female rafting downriver & hauling out on rock to preen
Black-billed Magpie

9.7 miles from I-90 along long straight stretch of road. Looking
straight back along road up on the mountainside is a nest on the rightside
of a valley in the hillside a little less than half a fist below the
horizon/skyline.
Prairy Falcon, soaring *L
Red-tailed hawk
American Goldfinch
Violet-green Swallow

Umtanum Creek trail:
Prairy Falcon, approx 8 birds and some appeared to be newly fledged
young. Observed one eating a kill high on the cliff.
Yellow-breasted Chat
Bullock's Oriole
Cedar Waxwing
American Goldfinch
Eastern Kingbird
Olive-sided Flycatcher ??

At milepost 14, walked back up through cut to cliff above river.
Nest in cliff-face below us to the right.
Rock Dove, in the rocks
White-throated Swifts *L
Cliff Swallows