Hotline: Lower Columbia Basin
Date: July 4, 1996
Phone: 509-943-OWLS
Compiler: Bob Woodley
Transcribers: Bill and Nancy LaFramboise, wlafra at oneworld.owt.com

Birds reported:

Great Egret
Burrowing Owl
Western Sandpipers
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Semipalmated Sandpiper
American Avocet
Bonaparte's Gull
birds of Coppei Creek

-transcript

This is the Lower Columbia Basin Audubon Society Bird Alert for July 4,
1996. For any questions regarding LCBAS call Mike Lilga at 946-8966.

On June 29, Duke and Kelly Ruhl (?sp) observed a GREAT EGRET on an island in
the Potholes Reservoir behind O'Sullivan Dam. This bird is undoubtedly a
member of the nesting colony at the north end of the reservoir. They also
reported a family of 10 BURROWING OWLS opposite Milepost 13 on Highway 17
between Mesa and the Highway 260 turnoff to Connell.

Dennis Rockwell counted 126 WESTERN SANDPIPERS on the Walla Walla delta on
June 30. These birds are all adults that precede the juveniles by about one
month in their southbound migration.

On July 1, a female BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD fed at the fuchsias on
Madeline Brown's porch in Richland. This is the only female black-chinned
reported to date this summer.

Yesterday, July 3, I (Bob Woodley) ran into Mike and MerryLynn Denny at the
Walla Walla Delta. Mike had already waded out to count the shorebirds and
found 452 WESTERN SANDPIPERS, and a lone SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER. Also
present among several other bird species were 6 AMERICAN AVOCETS and 6
BONAPARTE'S GULLS. Shorebirds will continue to arrive daily and you can
find something really interesting there.

Also, Mike mentioned that birding is still quite good along Coppei Creek
Road off Highway 12 northeast of Walla Walla (see DeLorme Atlas page 41).
Birds present include Cordilleran and Willow Flycatchers, Veery, Catbirds,
Red-eyed Vireos, Yellow Warblers, American Redstarts, Yellow-breasted Chats,
and Lazuli Buntings among other species.

Good birding over the long weekend.

To report your own sightings, please give your name, phone number and
sightings after the tone. Thank you.


Bill and Nancy LaFramboise
Richland, WA
wlafra at oneworld.owt.com