Hello Tweets,

My mother and I birded the Columbia Gorge April 17th&18th, covering
Clark-Benton Cos., mainly along Hwy.14 with 129 species and 690 miles. The
weather was mostly sunny and NO wind with high temperatures in the mid 80's
with increasing clouds late on the 17th, and mostly cloudy and mid-60's,
with scattered showers, wind, and partial clearing today the 18th.
Highlights consisted of the following:

GR.WHITE-FRONTED GEESE
24 at Steigerwald N.W.R.,CK on the 17th
3 at Dallesport,KL on the 17th, and 18 there on the 18th

GREAT EGRET
1 at Crow Butte S.P,BE on the 18th

BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON
8 at Crow Butte S.P. on the 17th&18th
2 at Roosevelt,KL on the 18th

RED-BREASTED MERGANSER
1 female at Bingen,KL on the 18th

Very good numbers of several species of raptors including:
4 species of owls in Benton Co. with 3 pairs of BURROWING OWLS near
Plymouth,BE on the 17th, 1 nesting pair of LONG-EARED OWLS at Crow Butte
S.P. both days, 1 BARN OWL at Crow Butte S.P. on the 18th, and 1 G.H.Owl at
Crow Butte S.P. and 1 nesting pair at Roosevelt on the 18th. Also good
numbers of Turkey Vultures, Ospreys, and Red-tailed Hawks throughout the
region.

SWAINSON'S HAWK
4 near the BE-KL line along Hwy.14 on the 17th

GOLDEN EAGLE
1 at Crow Butte S.P. on the 17th

GRAY PARTRIDGE
4 west of Plymouth,BE on the 17th

BLACK-NECKED STILT
*9 at Steigerwald NWR on the 17th, with 1 bird there on the 18th being my
first Western WA record of this species. 10 at Sun Dale Park,KL on the
17th. 22 at Whitcomb Is.,BE on the 17th, and 12 at Crow Butte S.P. both
days.

L.YELLOWLEGS
1 at Dallesport on the 18th

GR.YELLOWLEGS
10 at Steigerwald NWR on the 18th

LONG-BILLED CURLEW
2 at Dallesport on the 17th
2 at Whitcomb Is. on the 17th
4 at Umatilla NWR,BE on the 17th
3 west of Plymouth,BE on the 17th

W.SANDPIPER
2 at Steigerwald NWR on the 18th

L.SANDPIPER
42 at Steigerwald NWR on the 18th

DUNLIN
2 at Dallesport both days, and 8 at Steigerwald NWR on the 18th

ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD
1 N of Lyle,KL on the 18th

ACORN WOODPECKER
2 near Lyle on the 18th

W.KINGBIRD
1 at Maryhill S.P. on the 18th

BANK SWALLOW
4 at Whitcomb Is. w/ several N.ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS on the 17th
2 near Patterson,BE on the 17th
2 at Crow Butte S.P. on the 18th

NASHVILLE WARBLER
1 at Maryhill S.P.w/ 80+ Yellow-rumped Warblers, and 2 at Maryhill Museum
both on the 18th

CHIPPING SPARROW
6 at Balch Lk. near Lyle on the 18th

WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
1 of the White-striped form ay Maryhill S.P. on the 18th

YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD
20 W of Plymouth on the 17th

LESSER GOLDFINCH
6 at Maryhill Museum on the 17th
8 at Maryhill S.P. on the 18th

This was very rewarding excursion to visit the Columbia Gorge,especially
for early migrants, as well as birding one of our favorite areas in the
state for variety and diversity.

Good Birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net