-RBA

* northern Idaho / eastern Washington / northeastern Oregon
* January 2, 1998
* IDWA981.02

-birds mentioned

Cattle Egret
Great Egret
Oldsquaw
Red-breasted Merganser
Glaucous Gull
Mew Gull
Western Gull
Merlin
Bewick's Wren
Rusty Blackbird
Blue Jay
White-throated Sparrow
Harris's Sparrow


-transcript

HOTLINE: northern Idaho / eastern Washington /
northeastern Oregon
Date: January 2, 1998
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.

Let's start in western Walla Walla Co., WA, at the junction of US 12
and US 730. Just north of the junction at Madame Doriane (sp?) Park,
which is at about US 12 milepost 307, was a winter-plumaged RUSTY
BLACKBIRD on December 27, according to Mike and MerryLynn
Denny. Also at Madame Doriane, look for the 2-4 HARRIS'S
SPARROWS and the WHITE-THROATED SPARROW which have
persisted for the last six wee ks or so. All these birds are along the
little dirt road, which is just beyond the bathrooms, and runs west
along the Walla Walla River. Just across the road at the Walla Walla
River delta, the Denny's had a second-winter GLAUCOUS GULL on
Christmas. Just a mile or so north of the park, on Badger Island in the
Columbia River, were two AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS on December
27. Just a little farther north, at the poop piles at the Iowa Dodd beef
processing plant, was an adult WESTERN GULL today, January 2, and
in a small slough by the plant was a very late LESSER YELLOWLEGS,
according to the Denny's.

Just a little farther north, at Burbank Slough at McNary NWR
headquarters, were 6 OLDSQUAW, seen today by the Denny's. Just a
little farther north, WA 124 heads east. Just past the intersection of
WA 124 and US 12, at the District 4 fire station, the Denny's saw a
"Suckleyi" MERLIN on December 27. Four miles east of the WA 124 /
US 12 intersection is the Ice Harbor Dam. Below the dam on
December 27 was an adult MEW GULL and a female RED- BREASTED
MERGANSER, again according to the Denny's. WA DeLorme 40, B-
D-1.

BLUE JAYS are still in and around Moscow, Latah Co., ID. Look for
one in the University Heights area of southwest Moscow, bounded by
US 95, Palouse River Drive, Taylor Street, and the UI Golf Course.
Look especially around Chinook. Rosanne Becker (sp?) spied one on
December 30 near the intersection of F Street and Orchard. Four more
jays are persisting at the base of Moscow Mt. north of Moscow,
continuing to visit the feeder of Tom Besser. Give Tom a call at
208-882-6254 for directions.

A GREAT EGRET and a CATTLE EGRET are persisting west of Walla
Walla, Walla Walla Co., WA, according to Mike and MerryLynn Denny.
The GREAT EGRET is being seen along Detour Road, which runs
parallel on the south side of US 12, between College Place and
Lowden. Lowden is about 14 miles west of College Place. The
CATTLE EGRET is on the west edge of Lowden, on the north side of
US 12, in the pasture with the llamas. WA DeLorme 40 and 41, D-4-5.

Two BEWICK'S WRENS were just west of Pullman, Whitman Co., WA
on January 1, according to John and Marty Hirth. The birds were
along River Road, in the vicinity of last weeks WHITE- THROATED
SPARROW sighting. To get to the general area, from Grand Avenue
and the Chamber of Commerce just north of Paradise Creek, head west
on Whitman, then right on State Street, then left on Park Street which
turns into Guy Street which becomes River Road. About 1 mile from
Grand, between the house with the four noisy, run-after-cars dogs and
the Cohen residence at 2202 River Road, there's a brushy area on the
left, downhill side, of the road. The WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
was in the brush with White-crowneds. The Cohens are bird and
birder-friendly. The dogs are not birder-friendly. The Hirth's found the
wrens just a little west of the Cohen's.

If you need any information about the sightings, give me a call at
208-883-0943.

Good birding and Happy New Year!