Hello Tweets,

On September 16th and 17th, my mother and I birded the Columbia Gorge,
mainly in Klickitat County, as we covered an area on the 2000 Klickitat
County Fall Migration Count on the 16th, then birded on the 17th in western
Benton County, then worked our way home. The weather was very warm, except
for constant wind at most times both days, especially noticeable at Spring
Creek National Fish Hatchery in Skamania County, west of Bingen, where we
observed at least 120 windsurfers on the Columbia River, mainly on the WA
side, as conditions were favorable. We encountered 114 total species, and
732 total miles driven on the entire trip, with 87 species being on our
Klickitat County route on the 16th, despite few fallouts of migrants, and
also wind. The main highlight was 2 juvenal SABINE'S GULLS at 12pm, and 1
COMMON TERN, with 18 FORSTER'S TERNS at the John Day Dam on the 16th on our
route, with the 1 gull, and the FORSTER'S TERN'S present today at 11am.

We started out at the Maryhill Museum on the 16th at 7:30am, where wind was
apparent, but this location was our best migrant spot on the trip, as for
the location and diversity, as we visited this location twice during the day
for any different species and numbers, and for some areas being very slow,
and unbirdy, possibly due to the time of year, and day. The Maryhill Museum
was very productive at both visits with 36 species present during the day
with the following highlights:

1 adult COOPER'S HAWK
3 TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES
9 HERMIT THRUSHES
1 SWAINSON'S THRUSH
1 VARIED THRUSH
4 RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES
7 GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS
1 BEWICK'S WREN
2 MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLERS
1 WILSON'S WARBLER
1 CASSIN'S VIREO
4 GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS
2 FOX SPARROWS
1 PURPLE FINCH
21 LESSER GOLDFINCHES

Next, we checked Maryhill S.P, which is along the Columbia River, and much
less productive than the museum, but still needed coverage. We walked the
entire western portion first, then the camping area later with the following
highlights:

1 BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER
15 LEWIS' WOODPECKERS
1 BEWICK'S WREN
1 COMMON YELLOWTHROAT
9 LESSER GOLDFINCHES
3 WESTERN TANAGERS
3 LINCOLN'S SPARROWS

We drove though the town of Maryhill, then on the entire dirt road along the
Columbia River to John Day Dam, where dust combined with warm temperatures
made birding slow, but still rewarding, as we encountered the following:

2 PRAIRIE FALCONS
1 OSPREY
2 AM.PIPITS
1 GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW
22 LESSER GOLDFINCHES

When we arrived at the John Day Dam, we quickly scoped the lower end, and
located good numbers of California Gulls, and first 14 FORSTER'S TERNS, with
1 COMMON TERN, then 4 more Forster's for a total of 18, then 2 juvenal
SABINE'S GULLS were noted flying around the west face of the dam wall, then
out with other gulls, for 3 minutes, then flew west, where we lost them.

By 1:30pm we were at Goldendale, where we checked a few locations, but
notably produced few species, and numbers, despite relatively extensive
searching, except for a small housing development along Woodland Rd., that
noted the following highlights:

1 SCRUB JAY
12 WESTERN BLUEBIRDS
1 WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH
18 CHIPPING SPARROWS
1 LESSER GOLDFINCH(unusual for location, being away from known areas along
the Columbia River)

We worked our way around E and S of Goldendale for a few hours, before
heading back to the Columbia River, but encountered a few good birds, along
with relatively high numbers of Red-tailed Hawks, and Turkey Vultures as in
other previous locations.

2 PRAIRIE FALCONS(1 bird hunting along the Bickleton Hwy., and 1 perched
bird along Hwy.97, S of Goldendale)
1 TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE along Hoctor Rd.

The remainder of the day was spent rechecking a few previous locations, and
heading to the eastern part of the county, and continue the next day. Late
on the 16th I(Patrick) owled along Alderdale Rd. from Hwy14 to the eastern
end of Six Prong Rd., with 7 WESTERN SCREECH OWLS, and a single
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON but No other owls, as the weather was favorable
with clear skies, and NO wind!

Today, the 17th we started out by checking the Alderdale STP, where we
located a single SOLITARY SANDPIPER, with 5 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, and 5 WESTERN
SANDPIPERS in a small flooded area, just N of the main pond, which is quite
full of water, and minimal shoreline. Our only SAY'S PHOEBE was also
encountered at this location, before we headed east to Benton Co.

At Whitcomb Island, just east of Crow Butte S.P., in Benton Co., along
Hwy.14 we checked the main canl on the east side of road going over the RR
tracks, after leaving Hwy.14, and located the following species:

1 SANDHILL CRANE
17 AM.WHITE PELICANS
3 GREAT EGRETS
1 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER

At Crow Butte S.P., birding was very slow, but 2 DUSKY FLYCATCHERS, and 2
PINE SISKINS were noted in the full camping/picnic area, and 2 SEMIPALMATED
PLOVERS, south of Hwy.14 at the base of the mrashy wetland connected with
the park .From Benton Co. we drove back towards John Day Dam in search of
better looks of the SABINE'S GULLS, and anything else that could show up. At
MP 89 along Hwy.14 in Klickitat County, we located our only GOLDEN EAGLE of
the trip When we arrived at the dam, we located one SABINE'S GULL, as
mentioned previously, at the base of the lower dam, as it loosely fed with
other gulls, and the remaining FORSTER'S TERNS, then at Dallesport our only
NORTHERN HARRIER of the trip.
Back in Western WA, we encountered 2 BLACK SWIFTS amongst 45-50 VAUX'S
SWIFTS as they foraged above Washougal in Clark County, and a quick check
along Lower River Rd.,Wof Vancouver, where the following shorebirds were
noted, despite two unsuccessful attempts made by an adult PEREGRINE FALCON:

148 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS
9 LESSER YELLOWLEGS
3 GREATER YELLOWLEGS
5 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS
47 WESTERN SANDPIPERS
22 LEAST SANDPIPERS


Good Birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net