-RBA

* northern Idaho / eastern Washington / northeastern Oregon
* May 10, 1996
* IDWA9605.10

-birds mentioned

Marbled Godwit
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Red-necked Phalarope
Bonaparte's Gull
Forester's Tern
Merlin
Burrowing Owl
Short-eared Owl
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Lewis' Woodpecker
Northern Mockingbird
American Tree Sparrow
Black-throated Sparrow
spring arrivals


-transcript

HOTLINE: northern Idaho / eastern Washington / northeastern Oregon
Date: May 10, 1996
Phone: (208) 882-6195
Compiler: Kas Dumroese
Transcriber: Dale Goble
gobled at uidaho.edu


This is Kas Dumroese with the northern Idaho / eastern Washington /
northeastern Oregon bird hotline.

Mike Denny reports Mike Nelson saw a single NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD
in Adams County Washington. The bird, seen this past week, was along
Washington 24, just east of the Adams / Grant County line, on a
powerline that runs north and south. See Washington DeLorme p. 53,
B6.

Mike and MerryLynn Denny found a BURROWING OWL on the Hanford
Reservation, just north of the Tri-cities, on May 3. The bird was at
milepost 16 along Washington 204, northwest of Richland.

At the Walla Walla River Delta on May 3 Mike and MerryLynn observed
10 AMERICAN AVOCETS, 1 MARBLED GODWIT, 7 FORESTER'S TERNS,
118 CASPIAN TERNS, 2 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, 2 SEMIPALMATED
PLOVERS and a LEAST SANDPIPER. The delta is about 30 miles west of
Walla Walla at the Columbia River, just north of the junction of US 12 and
US 730. Cross the Walla Walla River and go 0.2 mile more. Just before
milepost 307, take the gravel road on the west side of the road.

BONAPARTE'S GULLS were present in Idaho and Washington this past
week. Pat Scott reports a breeding plumaged gull at Spring Valley
Reservoir just east of Troy, Idaho, on May 5. Take Idaho 8 east from
Troy to mile post 17 and turn left onto the well-marked Spring Valley
Road. Stay on pavement as long as you can, and once the road turns to
gravel, it's another mile to the reservoir. See Idaho DeLorme p. 58, half
way between b as in buteo and c as in chicadee, 1.5. Please note the
DeLorme doesn't show the reservoir, but it does show the Spring Valley
Road.

The Denny's had a single winter-plumaged Bonaparte's at McNary NWR
just east of the Tri-cities. The bird was in the headquarters display
pond on May 3. Also there was a female RED-NECKED PHALAROPE in
breeding plumage. The NWR is along US 12. Washington DeLorme p.
40, C1.

Dan Svingen reports a SHORT-EARED OWL about 5 miles west of
Grangeville, Idaho, along US 95 on May 4. The bird was near Fenn. The
Denny's report another SHORT-EARED OWL in the grove of trees at the
Langguth Winery along Washington 24 on May 3. The winery is about
13 miles east of Mattawa and is shown on Washington DeLorme p. 52,
C3. This little grove also produced YELLOW WARBLER, NASHVILLE
WARBLER, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, HERMIT THRUSH,
LONG-EARED OWL, DUSKY FLYCATCHER and a "WESTERN" FLYCATCHER.

John and Marty Hirth saw a LEWIS' WOODPECKER along Washington
260 southwest of Washtucna, Washington last weekend. Washington
DeLorme p. 55, C5.

The Hirth's also had a good day birding at Swanson Lakes, which are
about 9 miles south of Creston, Washington. There were 2 MERLIN, 2
SHARP-TAILED GROUSE, 2 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, 2 BLACK-NECKED
STILT and the expected sage species. Head west from Creston on US 2
about a mile and then south of Creston South Road. Washington
DeLorme p. 86, C4.

At Mann Lake on May 5 were a BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, 1 LEAST
SANDPIPER, 1 WESTERN SANDPIPER, 4 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, 2
WILSON'S PHALAROPES, and 3 AMERICAN AVOCET, according to the
Hirths. To get to Mann Lake, follow US 12 into Lewiston and take 21st
Street south, up the hill. It turns into Thain. Follow it and when it
goes from 4-lane to 2-lane and turns right (south), turn left (east) onto
Powers and continue on Powers until it dead ends at the lake. Idaho
DeLorme p.54, A1.

I had a single AMERICAN TREE SPARROW at my feeder south of
Moscow, Idaho this morning, May 10.

Mike Denny reports two BLACK-THROATED SPARROW sightings from
southeastern Washington this past week. Unfortunately, neither bird
was relocatable, but folks should be looking for others...

Here's a quick summary of spring arrivals from this past week...
Black-chinned Hummingbirds on the Palouse.
Black Terns region-wide.
Spotted Sandpipers near Grangeville.
Western Kingbirds everywhere.
Vaux's Swifts region-wide.
Wilson's Phalaropes region-wide.
House Wrens near Moscow.

Good birding!