I went on an all-day wild duck chase. A friend had reported seeing
two male Harlequin Ducks in East Fork Emerald Creek in Latah County, Idaho
(the area is famous for its star garnets). So I had to check it out. Made
several stops on the way to the area then visited the creek. I struck out
on the Harlequins but I had a great day outside in the sunny, 70 degree
weather. Here are the highlights of my trip:

Spring Valley Reservoir, Latah County:
Great Blue Heron
Tundra Swan (1 - a surprise this late in the spring)
Greater White-fronted Goose (1-another surprise)
Ross' Goose (1-yet another surprise)
Canada Goose (22 adults with the TUSW, GWFG, and ROGO and a family
"group" of 4 adults and 12 chicks)
Lesser Scaup (pair)
Bufflehead (2 females)
Ruddy Ducks (5 males, 2 females)
Osprey (at least 2)
Cooper's Hawk (at least 2)
Red-tailed Hawk (many)
Ring-necked Pheasant (heard)
American Coot
Spotted Sandpiper (my first of the year)
Califorina Gull (2)
Belted Kingfisher (1, female)
Dusky Flycatcher (many, first of the year for me)
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Black-capped Chickadee
America Robin
Yellow Warbler (many, my first of the year)
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Spotted Towhee (1 seen, 1 heard)
Chipping Sparrow (many)
Song Sparow (many)
Red-winged Blackbird (everywhere)
Western Meadowlark (one heard singing)
Brown-headed Cowbird (male flew over)
Red Crossbill
(no Warbling Vireo or Willow Flycatcher even though I thought the habitat
was right)

Moose Creek Reservoir
Wood Duck (pair)
Osprey (1)
American Coot
Dusky Flycatcher
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Northern Waterthrush (heard)
Dark-eyed Junco
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird

A flock of about 60 Brown-headed Cowbirds were feeding with horses just
outside the town of Bovill

Bovill Sewage Pond
Wood Ducks (3 males)
Mallard (1 female)
Bufflehead (1 female)
Vaux's Swift (1)
Tree Swallow (3)
Brown-headed Cowbird (about 20)

East Fork Emerald Creek
Killdeer
Vaux's Swift
Dusky Flycatcher
Bewick's Wren
Chestnut-backed Chickadees
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
American Robin
Cassin's Vireo (my first of the year)
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Townsend's Warbler (my first of the year)
MacGillivray's Warbler (my first of the year)
Chipping Sparrow
Pine Siskin
Red Crossbill

Returning home:
Eastern Kingbird (my first of the year)

Deb Beutler
Department of Zoology
P.O. Box 644236
Washington State University
Pullman (Whitman Co.), WA 99164-4236
dbeutler at wsunix.wsu.edu