No Green-tailed Towhee ...yet. Two days focusing on that bird specifically
now and no luck. No sign anywhere up there on Biscuit Ridge and Lewis Peak
(Walla Walla Co, 6/13), and so far, not a twinkle of optimism anywhere along
the south facing ridge face between Wickiup and Antone Butte (incl. Wenatchee
Guard Station) FR's 43 & 4304 [Asotin Co, 6/14] ...but(!)... what a fantastic
corner of the state to just be for awhile regardless. On the heels of the
rapidly retreating Blue Mountain snow pack, the exposed hillsides are ablaze
in colorful wildflowers! As for the Green-tailed Towhee, ...well there are
only a gazillion suitable looking spots for Washington's one or two birds
that may be lurking somewhere up there, so... I'm not giving up yet. It has
helped greatly to finally get comfortable with the Southeast Washington
version of the Fox Sparrow song which has vaguely similar qualities to the
towhee ...and annoyingly responds to tape playback of the Green-tailed
Towhee.

Today's aesthetic highlight had to be the nine Short-eared Owls shortly after
sunrise perched along the roadside on fence posts and roadside markers along
Cloverland Road [Asotin Co] and flying about over extensive fields of tall
grass. Also, Chukar and Prairie Falcon along that road. Areas around
Cloverland might be worth closer inspection for perhaps such real longshots
like Upland Sandpiper and some odd longspur. Anyway, such visions of
grandeur at least crossed my mind. On the other hand.... ehh, never mind.

Bill & Nancy LaFramboise: You hit the nail on the head again directing me to
the Cordilleran Flycatcher. Exactly as advertised; at the Coppei Creek
bridge (just south of the Walker / Coppei Creek Roads intersection) [Walla
Walla Co]. I was so cued for the call, I recognized it instantly without
even giving it a second thought. Just to be sure, a tape playback brought
the bird down to within minimum focus distance. Actually, Cordilleran
Flycatchers seem not to be all that uncommon in some areas. However, they do
seem to be localized and are absent from many areas that otherwise appear
suitable. There were no less than six (and probably more) from the Walker
Road intersection southward, for 5.7 miles along the Coppei Creek Road to
where you have to ford the stream and the road more or less ends. Others
were noted along Biscuit Ridge Road (also along there: a pair of turkeys with
a clutch of 11 strolling down the road, a Black Bear drinking from a rain
puddle in the road, and an Elk + calf in the road), and along the Lewis Peak
Road (with no otherwise special highlights). It's still too early for me to
say much about them in Asotin Co. They are around, maybe two or three here
and there, but I've not been in very good habitat for them today. Tomorrow
should be better.

Richard Rowlett (posting from somewhere in Asotin County)
Bellevue, WA