Hi, Tweeters!

This was such a beautiful day! It was quite warm and partly cloudy. Her=
e is
a trip report:

Today, April 26th, 20 dwindling to 12 members of the Yakima Valley Audubo=
n
Society took a field trip from Yakima (at 7 am) up the Yakima Canyon, up
Thrall Road, over to Kittitas and then to the Old Vantage Highway to Gett=
y=92s
Cove on the Columbia, up to Wanapum State Park for an early lunch, over t=
he
Columbia, down to Beverly, up Crab Creek Road, over to Othello, back on
Highway 24 to Yakima again (at 4:30 pm). Along the way, we saw the follo=
wing
birds (a total of 60 species):

Common Loon=97on the Columbia River at Wanapum State Park we saw two loon=
s in a
courtship ritual!; Western Grebe=97on the way over the Columbia River at
Vantage; American White Pelican=97on the way from the top of Crab Creek R=
oad to
Othello; Double-crested Cormorant=97same place as the pelicans; Great Blu=
e
Heron=97at the rookery along I-82 north of Yakima; Canada Goose=97several
different places; Mallard=97ubiquitous (U), as usual; Cinnamon Teal=97alo=
ng Crab
Creek Road; Northern Shoveler=97in same area as pelicans; Redhead=97same =
as
pelicans; Ring-necked Duck=97pond at bottom of Crab Creek Road and with
pelicans; Lesser Scaup=97several different places; Bufflehead=97pond at b=
ottom of
Crab Creek Road; Common Merganser=97along the Yakima River in the Canyon;=
Ruddy
Duck=97some dissention in the group but what other duck has such a stuck-=
up
tail and white rump patch? (a pair was seen same place as pelicans); Ospr=
ey=973
in Yakima Canyon!; Northern Harrier=97surprisingly only 2 seen along road=
been
Vernita and Moxee; Sharp-shinned Hawk=97in Yakima Canyon; Red-tailed Hawk=
=97U;
Rough-legged Hawk=97at the top of the Yakima Canyon; American Kestrel=97U=
;
Chuckar=97Getty=92s Cove; Ring-necked Pheasant=97between Kittitas along t=
he first
part of the Old Vantage Highway; California Quail=97Vernita rest stop; Am=
erican
Coot=97U; Killdeer=97U; Black-necked Stilt=97with pelicans; American Avoc=
et=97Crab
Creek Road and with pelicans; Spotted Sandpiper=97with pelicans; Common
Snipe=97along Thrall Road and along Old Vantage Highway; Wilson=92s
Phalarope=97with pelicans; Ring-billed Gull=97U; Forster=92s Tern=97Getty=
=92s Cove and
Wanapum State Park; Rock Dove=97U; Mourning Dove=97several places; Northe=
rn
Flicker=97U; Say=92s Phoebe=97along Crab Creek Road; Western Kingbird=97n=
ear Othello;
Violet-green, Northern Rough-winged, Bank, and Barn Swallows=97several pl=
aces;
Black-billed Magpie=97U; American Crow=97U; Common Raven=97U; Black-cappe=
d
Chickadee=97top of Yakima Canyon; Ruby-crowned Kinglet=97top of Yakima Ca=
nyon;
Western Bluebird=97Old Vantage Highway; American Robin=97U; Sage Thrasher=
=97Old
Vantage Highway and several other places; European Starling=97U; Yellow-r=
umped
Warbler=97Getty=92s Cove and Wanapum State Park; White-crowned Sparrow=97=
Wanapum
State Park and Crab Creek Road; Red-winged Blackbird=97several places; We=
stern
Meadowlark=97U; Yellow-headed Blackbird=97pond on Crab Creek Road near Be=
verly;
Brewer=92s Blackbird=97U; Brown-headed Cowbird=97along Thrall Road; Ameri=
can
Goldfinch=97at top of Yakima Canyon; House Sparrow=97several places.

Maia and Charley Kelly, Trip Leaders