Hello Tweets,

Dave Hayden, and my mother and I birded on the 17th and today the 18th of June in Lewis and Yakima Counties, where the main search was made for the OVENBIRD near Packwood in Lewis County, with great success starting on the 17th between 8:30am-10:30am, as it sang on territory, during our visit along with Ken Knittle, and his wife Laurie, and Tom Eckert, the initial observer, BUT the best view was made today at 1pm, where we returned to the same location, and observed the bird eyelevel on a Douglas Fir branch, just after it arose from the ground, and were able to view it for at least 12 seconds, before it dropped down again out of sight, but was heard a few times as it continued to sing on territory, but NOT as often, as in yesterday's visit, but was less cooperative, possibly due to the weather today, which was quite windy, at the site, or the time of day.

We encountered 112 species, and encounterd great weather throughout the 2-day trip, but almost too hot on the 17th, after leaving the OVENBIRD, with increasing clouds late, then partly to mostly cloudy skies on the 18th. We birded the Oak Creek Wildlife Area-Lower Hardy Canyon area, before returning back along Hwy.12 to Rimrock Lake, where we slept overnight, then birded along FR 1000 to Conrad Meadows, then slowly worked our way home. The highlights follow for the remainder of the trip:

EARED GREBE
4 at Wenas Lake,Yakima County on the 17th

CINNAMON TEAL
1 pair at Leech Lake at White Pass,Lewis County on the 17th. My first encounter of this species above 1500 meters.

HARLEQUIN DUCK
1 male along Tieton River, S of Windy Point Campground,YA on the 17th

SWAINSON'S HAWK
1 in intermediate morph along Longmire Lane, east of Wenas Lake,YA on the 17th

FLAMMULATED OWL
3 calling birds, with 1 bird seen near Pennisula CG(Rimrock Lake),YA late on the 17th. I encountered this species 2 years ago in late June, with only 1 bird at the same location, so it is believed to be a probable acceptable location in finding this somewhat hard to find specialty in WA, along with other locations statewide, including the Wenas area, Liberty(Kittitas County), and along Oroville-Toroda Creek Rd. in Okanogan County, just to name a few locations.

SPOTTED OWL
1 young bird calling near Rimrock Lake,YA on the 17th, and 1 adult seen and photographed S of Rimrock Lake on the 18th, with feathers, but NO bones found of an apparent young bird near the same location, possibly taken by a Northern Goshawk, as they were discovered in a consistant pile, with dark and tawny down feathers, with flight feathers also present.

RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER
1 active nest found at Pennisula CG, along Rimrock Lake,YA on the 17th

LEAST FLYCATCHER
2 calling birds, west of Lower Hardy Canyon, YA along Oak Creek, on the 17th at the same location earlier by Andy Stepniewski, and the same location my mother and I have observed this species in past years, BUT have never had 2 birds, only single calling birds, as it is possible for them to breed due to the appropriate habitat. These birds can be easily found first, by their distinctive, consistant song, as both birds were heard.

WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL
1 pair at Conrad Meadows(S end of FR 1000),YA on the 18th

Good Birding,

Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net