I had yet another great memorial day Wenas camping trip. The weather was
great with the exception of some windy afternoons. Warblers were not out
in the numbers I saw last year, but still saw many different species
including my first Macillivray's and Black-throated Gray Warblers of the
year. Veery's were everpresent every evening from my campsite
overlooking the creek. And a few times I could hear the calling of the
pair of dippers as they fly back and forth along the creek. Calliope
Hummingbirds were buzzing about. Most were females with only one male
sighted by myself. Black-chinned Hummingbirds were easy to spot from
Wilson Cady's campsite.
Well what do I love most about Wenas...It would have to be the
Flycatchers and the Woodpeckers. It proved to be a great oppurtunity to
study the differences of the Empids. Pacific-slope Flycatchers were easy
to spot calling from the creekside. Dusky Flycatchers were calling from
the hillsides. Gray Flycatchers were fun to study along Hog Rance Road
as they dipped their tails on their perch. My best Empid find was on
Saturday around 9:30 AM when I spotted a Least Flycatcher calling from
Lower Hardy Canyon near the Red-tailed Hawk nest. I went back to Lower
Hardy Canyon monday morning to try to find the Broad-winged Hawk that
Wilson Cady and a group of others saw around noon on sunday, but to no
avail. However I did find at least 6 Gray Catbirds. 2 pairs right
before you cross the river bridge, and another pair near the Red-tailed
Hawk nest. Lazuli Buntings, Bullock's Orioles, Black-headed Grosbeaks,
Western Wood Pewee's were all singing and calling from the cottonwoods
while an Eastern Kingbird chased off a Western Kingbird from its perch.
An Olive-sided Flycatcher was perched on a snag as I was driving up
Audubon Road, and both species of Bluebirds were present along the fence
posts. I encountered a female White-headed Woodpecker calling just up
Hog Ranch Road. Also found a Lewis's Woodpecker nest hole 3.4 miles up
Uptanum Rd from Audubon Rd.
Well I managed to get two lifers on the trip. Not too shabby for this
being the 4th time to the Wenas (only my 2nd memorial day campout) My
lifers were the catbird and had a few Poorwills at night from Dry Creek
World.
Well thats about it.

Ryan Shaw
Lacey, WA
rtshaw at juno.com
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