Tweets,

Results from nine teams who birded Yakima County 9 May are in. We have a
record: 182 species, the previous best being 176 in 1995! Five teams
covered the Cascade Mountains-one on White Pass, another two on Chinook
Pass, one the Ahtanum Valley, and one in the foothills in the Wenas Creek
region. One team covered Toppenish NWR and Ft. Simcoe, another Satus Creek,
Grandview Sewage Lagoons and the eastern Moxee Valley. One team covered the
Yakima Training Center. A final team feeder watched. Highlights included:

Pacific Loon-1 on Priest Rapids Lake (PRL).

Clark's Grebe-1, (PRL).

Greater Scaup-4 (PRL), very uncommon this late in the season.

Harlequin Duck-6 on the Tieton River.

Blue Grouse-1 displaying male seen on the Wenas Road.

Semipalmated Plover-2, Toppenish NWR, rare in spring in this area.

Willet-1, Toppenish NWR, 3rd county record. One prior June and September
record in county. Seen by Denny Granstrand and Richard Hofstetter.

Dunlin, Toppenish NWR, very uncommon in spring in this area.

Short-billed Dowithcher-first seen on 8 May at Toppenish NWR by Jay
Desgrosellier, seen again on 9th at Grandview Sewage Lagoons by Denny
Granstrand and others. Heard also. Casual in spring in Yakima County.

Spotted Owl-1 south of the White Pass route (nesting).

Short-eared Owl-seen by three teams; 17 seen on Yakima Training Center
(YTC). Lots of great views of their sublime courtship over the shrub-steppe
on the YTC at dusk. At ground level, there was a twilight chorus coming
from Sage Thrashers, Brewer's and Vesper Sparrows, and Western Meadowlarks,
while very high overhead (500 feet up!), a hooting male was displaying to
female (s) below. That hooting resonated all around the darkening
landscape, making for a magical experience.

Long-eared Owl-at least 12 seen and heard.

Common Poorwill-1 seen in Cowiche Canyon, first record for that area.

Red-breasted Sapsucker-adults feeding young at Leech Lake just east of
White Pass, a rare species east of the crest.

White-headed Woodpecker-seen by 4 teams in the Cascades! One in the Wenas,
another at the White Pass USFS work center (nesting), two on Rattlesnake
Creek above The Nile, and one at Squaw Rock Lodge RV Campground (nesting)
by Hwy 410.

Flycatchers-very low numbers. Pascific-slope not recorded, the other
regular species in less-than-usual numbers.

Gray Catbird-1 seen at the bridge over the slough in the oxbow sloughs in
The Nile (Hwy 410). A little on the early side, thus easy to miss at this
time in May, another along Toppenish Creek.

Cedar Waxwing-0!

Warblers- present in abundance morning of 8 May in Cowiche Canyon (change
of winds during night to ground birds?) Morning of 9th, however, very
quiet. This seemed to be true of all groups reporting. However, 8 were
heard at dawn in Cowiche Canyon.

Brewer's Sparrow-200 noted on YTC alone.

"Timberline" Sparrow"-3+, migrants noted in riparian areas on YTC.

Western Meadowlark-185 noted on YTC alone.

Wetlands on the Toppenish NWR and Yakama Indian Nation lands at the south
end of Lateral A had many birds, including nesting Black-necked Stilts and
American Avocets. The rehabilitation efforts done by the tribe and USFWS in
this complex of wetlands is very commendable.

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA