Hello Tweets,

I birded E WA for 3 days with sunny weather with occasional wind(mostly
along on or near the Snake and Columbia Rivers) and temps rising to the low
80's. 12 counties were covered with a total of 167 species. I started my
journey along I-90 in Ellensburg, where a 2 GREATER YELLOWLEGS were seen in
small pond, then at Royal City in Grant Co. a single SOLITARY SANDPIPER, 2
L.B. CURLEWS, and MERLIN were both seen along SR 26. In Othello 10 DUNLIN,
2 GREAT EGRETS, 48 AM. AVOCETS, 20 B.N. STILTS, and a single lingering
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK were seen. In Franklin Co. I checked Scooteney Res., but
only found 1 AM. WHITE PELICAN. 2 light morph FERRUGINOUS HAWKS were seen
flying over appropriate nesting habitat near Delaney in Columbia Co. When I
arrived at Central Ferry S.P. the wind began to pick up, but was able to
locate 3 migrant LINCOLN'S SPARROWS. At 1pm I met up with Ken Knittle, Mike
Denny, Wayne Weber, Carole Vande Voorde, and 3 other birders at the the
mouth of Deadman Creek in Garfield Co., where an immediate dark morph
FERRUGINOUS HAWK and 1 HERRING GULL were located, then we all rechecked
Central Ferry S.P., and found 3 BARN OWLS, 1 GRAY FLYCATCHER, 1 HERMIT
THRUSH, 1 VAUX'S SWIFT, and 1 DUNLIN. We travelled east and birded Rice and
Willow Bars in Garfield Co. along the Snake River, where highlights
included 4 BARN OWLS, 1 B.C. NIGHT HERON, 1 ROSS' GOOSE,1 PRAIRIE FALCON, 3
SWAINSON'S HAWKS, and 1 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE. The heron is probably a first
county record for Garfield Co., which was flushed, then flew into Whitman
Co., then back into Garfield Co. As we ended the day, we observed 1
high-flying SHORT-EARED OWL along Hwy. 12 in Columbia Co., before staying
at the Denny's. The next day(April 26) Mike led us to 2 pair of BURROWING
OWLS along State Line Rd. in Walla Walla Co., then we birded the western
part of the county, starting at Wallula Jct. along the backwaters of the
Walla Walla River, where 17 AM. AVOCETS and 2 B.N. STILTS were noted. At
Port Kelly along Hwy. 730 good numbers of W.T. SWIFTS were observed, then
at Madame Dorion Park 2 HARRIS' SPARROWS and 1 WHITE-THROATED SPARROW were
still present. In Franklin Co. at the Pasco Airport 3 pair of BURROWING
OWLS were found on our way to Benton Co. At the Yakima River Delta in
Benton Co. 9 FORSTER'S TERNS, 1 DUNLIN, and 1 LINCOLN'S SPARROW were among
the highlights. We birded the nature trail in Columbia Park in Kennewick,
where a single DUSKY FLYCATCHER was seen. In south Benton Co. at Crow Butte
S.P. 1 GRAY FLYCATCHER, 1 PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER, 1 HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER,
3 DUSKY FLYCATCHERS, 3 HERMIT THRUSHES, 1 G.C. SPARROW, 2 LESSER
YELLOWLEGS, 2 AM. AVOCETS, 1 CLARK'S GREBE, 1 COOPER'S HAWK, 1 S.S. HAWK,
and L.E. OWL were highlights. Travelling west into Klickitat Co., we birded
along Six Prong Rd., where 3 BUSHTITS, 2 ROCK WREN, and 1 LINCOLN'S SPARROW
were produced before heading north towards Yakima Co. Along Alderdale Rd.
in Klickitat Co. I located 1 GRASSHOPPER SPARROW in proper habitat, then
400+ SANDHILL CRANES were noted flying north in several flocks. 1
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE was also present along this road north of Alderdale. As
we drove north through Yakima Co. several SAGE THRASHERS were noted, before
we all split up around 6pm. I birded the remainder of the day at Toppenish
NWR, where highlights included: 1 EUR. WIGEON, 1 SOLITARY SANDPIPER, 2 AM.
AVOCETS, 15 B.N. STILTS, 5 L.YELLOWLEGS, 2 AM. BITTERN(heard), 1 BALD
EAGLE, and 1 NASHVILLE WARBLER. Today(April 27) I started at Brooks
Memorial S.P. along Hwy. 97 in Klickitat Co., where 1 BLACK-BACKED
WOODPECKER, 1 NORTHERN GOSHAWK, and 1 TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE were among the
highlights. At Maryhill S.P. 2 WESTERN TANAGERS, 1 HARRIS' SPARROW, 7
LESSER GOLDFINCHES, 15 LINCOLN'S SPARROWS, and several G.C.SPARROWS were
present, and the Maryhill Museum produced 1 HERMIT THRUSH and 2 more
LINCOLN'S SPARROWS. At Lyle and vicinity 2 BLUE-WINGED TEAL, 1
BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD, 1 ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD, 2 BUSHTITS, 3 YELLOW
WARBLERS, 2 L.GOLDFINCHES, and 1 PURPLE FINCH were noted. At Skamania
Landing in Skamania Co. a single female PURPLE MARTIN was observed, and at
Steigerwald NWR in Clark Co. 2 WILSON'S PHALAROPE, 45 L.SANDPIPERS, 2
W.SANDPIPERS, 2 CINNAMON TEAL, and 1 L.YELLOWLEGS were all observed from SR
14 near Washougal, then a walk along the public dike trail bordering the
south portion of the refuge produced 3 WESTERN KINGBIRDS, 1 HARRIS'
SPARROW, 7 WOOD DUCKS, and 22 P.MARTINS. On my way home I checked Black
Lake Meadows near Olympia, and the SOLITARY SANDPIPER was still present and
14 L.SANDPIPERS and 1 VIRGINIA RAIL(new for area) were seen.

Good Birding,

Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net