Yesterday 23 June, I located 6 Black-throated Sparrows in eastern Kittitas
County - 5 on the Yakima Training Center (YTC) just west of Wanapum Dam and
north of Sentinel Gap.Lark Sparrows were the common associate. All were
found where the soil type led to a gravelly substrate (little or no grass
cover).

One was on a public road. From Wanapum State Park, go south on the west side
of the Columbia. South of the dam there is a huge railway bridge (abandoned)
crossing the river. At the west approach a gravel road leaves the highway.
At this spot are sparse bushes and a gravelly area. The bird was singing
right off the highway here.

I carefully censuded the entire north slope of the Saddle Mountains from the
Columbia west to the "Boyslton" Mtns. I was amazed at the post-breeding
movement of Sage Thrashers - which are everywhere - into hawthorn and mock
orange thickets. Same with Brewer's Sparrows. I had thought thids was more a
July and August movement as I said in a earlier posting, but its very
obvious it commences with the fledging of the first brood. I chanced upon
two large (20 to 30 juvenile) Sage Sparrows in lower and drier areas of the
route. The whole slope still had many singing Sage Sparrows. This is the
Norther Expansion area of the YTC. Cows have been off for 2 years now. It is
truly a wonderful area - obviously very important in a regional context for
Sage Thrashers and Sparrows. The eastern flanks of the entire YTC are most
probably the bulk of prime breeding habitat for Black-throated Sparrows in
WA also in years when they invade the state.

At the bottom of Johnson Cyn was a singing chat, a species I haven't seen
before on the YTC.

A "new" association (hawthorn) in Foster Creek near the upper end opf
Hohnson Creek had a pair of Nashville Warblers - no singing though. Within
100 meters were singing Brewer', Sage and Larkl Sparrows as well as scads of
softly warbling thrashers! Amazing to have Nashvilles here and in proximity
to all the "desert" birds.

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA