Tweets, Heres some weekend news from northeastern WA:

23 March:

Frenchman Coulee west near Vantage had 20 White-throated Swifts. My 1st this
year was 1 in the Yakima Canyon 20 March.

The Quilomene WRA on the Vantage Hwy east of Kittitas was "crawling with
Sage Thrashers and Sage Sparrows" (fide Dick Cannings whose scouting for an
Eastern WA trip mid-April to show off the dry-side to Vancouverites - the
Canadian types.

20+ Lapland Longspurs 5 miles east of Mansfield on south side of Hwy 172,
mucking about a "short-grass" wet area - habitat "resembling arctic tundra
where I've observed them in early June (central Yukon).Several times, we
heard them in chorus overhead, a wonderful song, somewhat reminiscent of
far-off Bobolinks.

750 Sandhill Cranes were over Sims Corner (DeLorme p. 85, D-5), right along
their usual migration corridor in eastern Douglas County.

Atkins Lake west of Coulee City was filled with waterfowl with 75 Tundra
Swans, 20 White-fronted Geese, 1 Eurasian Wigeon, 150 Canvasbacks, many
hundreds of N. Pintails plus lesser #'s of other ducks. This is truly a
wonderful spot, likely to be good for shorebirds by late spring and
especially fall, as in 1995.

2 Am. Tree Sparrow at the wildlife dept. feeder in West Foster Creek s. of
Bridgeport.

24 March:

5-6 Snow Buntings still on the west side of Muskrat Lake sw of Cheswa in the
Okanogan Highlands.

1 Lapland Longspur just north of Muskrat Lake, again in a muddy (caused by
bovines?) hollow.

10 White-winged Crossbills in spruce just sw of Muskrat Lake (a little ne of
the Sitzmark Ski Area (DeLorme p.115, B-7).

Red Crossbills were everywhere - most numerous though in Douglas fir, less
so in ponderosa pines.

Pine Siskins were abundant at every stop where either Douglas fir or
Engelmann spruce were encountered in the Okanogan Highlands.

Cassin's Finch were scarce, 3 were noted se of Chesaw in ponderosa pines.

125 Common Redpolls 1/4 mile se Chesaw in mountain alders and on the weedy
pasture below these trees (on Myers Creek).

Birds were surprisingly conspicuous considering the arctic blast that
enveloped the region late Sat. afternoon.

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA