Tweeters,

I spent 2 hours birding in the Moxee Valley east of Yakima along Highway
24. The primary impetus for my visit was Debie Brown's post of arrival of
Swainson's Hawks 2 April at nearby Konnowac Pass. I wanted to see these
hawks, as well as other raptors.

I stopped at 2-mile intervals from milepost 16 to 28, spending 15 minutes
at each stop. There was a 15 mph southwesterly wind, the sky was overcast,
with a temperature of 47-48 F.

MP 16 (Moxee Experimental Station):

Northern Harrier - 2
Red-tailed Hawk - 2
Rough-legged Hawk - 2
Common Raven - 3

MP 18:

Northern Harrier - 1
Ferruginous Hawk - 1
American Kestrel - 1

MP 20 (mainly orchard habitat):

Red-tailed Hawk - 1

MP 22:

Northern Harrier - 4
Red-tailed Hawk - 2
Ferruginous Hawk - 1
Rough-legged Hawk - 2
Common Raven - 8

MP 24:

Northern Harrier - 2
Rough-legged Hawk - 2
Common Raven - 4

MP 26:

Northern Harrier - 2
Ferruginous Hawk - 1
Rough-legged Hawk - 3
Golden Eagle - 2
Prairie Falcon - 1
Common Raven - 5

MP 28:

Northern Harrier - 3
Red-tailed Hawk - 2
Rough-legged Hawk - 2
Common Raven - 2

No Swainson's Hawks, but an unexpected number of Ferruginous Hawks. Local
nesters? Non-breeders? Migrants? I don't know. Is anybody in Tweeterland
willing to share their insight on Ferruginous Hawk status in this part of
Washington (away from the well-documented Hanford Site and Franklin/Walla
Walla County nesting sites)?

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA