This weekend we birded Benton, Klickitat, & Skamania Counties.
We saw: Tufted Duck, Ross' Goose, Acorn Woodpecker, Lesser Goldfinch,
Peregrine Falcon, Burrowing Owl, and Long-eared Owl.

Got your attention? Details follow by county.

Benton County: (All Feb 13)
ROSS' GOOSE: 1 on the Umatilla NWR, Whitcom Island unit. DeLorme p 28 B2.
It was in the Columbia River with Canada Geese. They are very wary.

LONG-EARED OWLS: 5 at the Columbia Crest Winery at Patterson. Also there,
were good county birds; a BROWN CREEPER & a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE.

BURROWING OWL: 1 at a nest site near Plymouth. They wintered.

Klickitat County: (All Feb 14)
TUFTED DUCK: Relocated the Bingen bird. We found it 1 mile east of Bingen.
We parked at mile post 68.3 & scoped to the SW.

PEREGRINE FALCON: 1 zipped by us while at the Bingen Marina.

ACORN WOODPECKER: Saw Wilson Cady's staked out Rowland Lake bird. Thanks
Wilson!

LESSER GOLDFINCH: After not finding them in their usual locations, we were
shocked to find 5 quite far east at Sundale. DeLorme p 27 C6. (Only 24
miles from Benton Co!)

Also a NORTHERN SHRIKE was at the Maryhill Museum. (studious feller)

Skamania County:
No rare birds, but will mention 10 EVENING GROSBEAKS at Stevenson just in
case they have been scarce. Also six REDHEAD ducks were in Tunnel Lake.
(unusual?) It was nice to hear WINTER WRENS singing.

Fun weekend! Not even much wind. Felt like April.

Craig Corder & Judy Stevens
Hermiston, Oregon, USA
Umatilla County in north/central/eastern Oregon
ccorder at eoni.com