Birders, Before you delete this it is 106 degrees F at 2:30 pm!
This AM we found:
1 NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD
1 SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER
1 SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPER (juvenile)
1 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER (alternate)
2 BREWER'S SPARROWS (migrants)
We were at the Patterson unit of the Umatilla NWR in southern Benton Co WA.
All birds were at, or near, the large pond that we call the Blue-winged Teal
pond.

The Mocker was first seen flying from the top of one large popular tree to
another.
There were 5+ Western Kingbirds in the first tree & I almost didn't look at
the bird,
but the profile was different. With binocs the white in the wings was
obvious &
I yelled "Mocker!" It landed about 40 yards away in the top of a tree. I
had just set
up the scope so we got a good scope look. The white in the tail was also
noted.
It just kept moving from tree to tree until it was out of sight to the
south.
Kingbirds seemed to encourage it to leave. It was silent.

After we quit jumping up & down, I turned the scope toward the shore birds &
there
was a SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER! Two county year birds in 5 minutes!!

A bright juvenile SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPER was well studied. The first juv
of the year.
(We saw an adult there on July 9)

There was 1 SHORT-BILLED & 4 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS.
The Short-billed was in alternate plumage & was heard.
The bill was obviously shorter & the body smaller.
A Long-billed chased it around for several minutes.

2 BREWER'S SPARROWS were new to the refuge this year,
although I'm pretty sure I saw 1 of these birds on July 22.
They may have been displaced by one of the large fires in
the county this year. The fire south of Prosser was 3,000 acres!
(dumb s*** teenagers with fire works)

Good Birding,
Craig


Craig Corder & Judy Stevens
Hermiston, Oregon, USA
Umatilla County in north/central/eastern Oregon
ccorder at eoni.com