Hello Tweeters,
Ithis got back from a birding trip what was realy not planed. I was driving
saturday morning this to Bingen on the Columbia River to find the Tufted
Duck, what me and Vicki Blits missed last weekend. After reading Jerry
Converse message, he and Sandy saw this Bird the day we missed it.My hopes
was up, the only think bothered me,was the Weather. It was foggy and
drizzle raining,so the visibility was'nt to good.I took hyw.14 which is the
best way from Tacoma.When i reached the Place where the Tufted Duck
supposed to be, there was only 7Lesser Scaup, i could not find the Tufted
Duck again. So i believe Jerry and Sandy are the last Birders what saw this
Bird.Flying over where least 250 and Violet-green Swallows, and a Scrub Jay
flying around making himself loudly known.I realy din't had any plans to
drive further.But something came to tell me to go on!!!!!I I was thinking
about Lyle what is not to far from Bingen, and the Lesser Golfinches. When
i got to Lyle, cause ilooked all over, and could not find any of this tiny
Birds.I was driving around, ending up where the little Pond {my Son tells
me this is a Lake}This place is all fenced and protected because of a Rare
Pond Turtle. When i was stopping around on this Loop, i heared a strange
call, first i was thinking of Crows making this loud noise, and i din't see
any Crows, all the sudden in the large OaksTrees i saw a bird quite large
clinging on to the Trees, i know than this Bird was a Woodpecker with a
verry yellow Eye,examen this two Birds, there was two ,
of them, chasing each other.looking in my Bird book, i saw this Birds
in11-10-89 and again in 4-5-90
I i have Acorn Woodpecker here. Since i could not foolow this Birds, fenced
in all the way, i did not got a Photo, since ther flew further in to the
Trees.This certainly was a good finding,and i din't care to see the Lesser
Goldfinches.So i went further on HWY 14 toMaryhill Museum, where i try to
stay overnight to find the Long-eared Owls,which where bred there last
year.By now it was really raining hard, i searched all the Trees and find
the old Nest but no Owls. I decided to drive on HWY 92 TO toppenich, and
from there to east of Moxee.I ask permisson at the Experimentel Station to
find the Long-eared Owls. I spend the next two hours looking only to find
ONE OWL. I was ready to leave ,when i heared overhead a Long-billed Curlew,
calling loud "cur-lee," cur-lee," flew down in the freshly plowed fields,
where there was onother Long- billed Curlew, proable a pair , pairing up
to breed. This was my first Curlew of this year.
It was getting late and i try to figure out where i am going from here. I
remember last weeks Trip, where we try to find the Red-shouldered Hawk, and
the Area which is quite remote around the Yakima River.The Rain stopped and
the sun start to come out , so i decided to go on to where we had a
Northern Mockingbird last week instead the Hawk.I drove on HWY.240
turningright onGrosscup Rd. turning onYakima River Rd right driving to the
first opening on the River, 5250, there i found the Mockingbird again,
posing for great Photos.Birding was good as it get's now. so i looked for
the Red-shouldered Hawk the rest of the evening, but NO Hawk.I was driving
around this to find a quite place to stay driving on Harrington Rd all the
way almost where the Dam is, the housing Area turns in to Sage high over
looking the River.Perfect to stay overnight.As i was preparing for the
night a flock of 9 Sandhill Crane was flying North direction Othello ,
what a sight to see at almost dark.
The next morning had a verry good surprise waiting for me. It was quite
foggy early at 7.00AM, but looking over the River , in one Tree there was
something larger than the large numbers of Robin's what was there. Taken
out my scope to further examen this Bird, sitting farther in to the Tree, i
know this was not a Cooper's Hawk the back of this Hawk was speckled with
red on shoulders.I watched the Hawk for about 30 minutes when he flew east
from where i was landing on some Tree where the homes are on the river
bank.I stayed onother hour, looking for this Bird, he would come back. From
the corner of Grosscup and HarringtonRd is 4 Miles where i found this
Hawk.
On this Trip i garnished 52 Species of Birds{i only name the most
importend Species, because of the lenght of this message.
Ruth Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net







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