Hello Tweets,

My mother and I birded the 6th and 7th of January along the southern portion
of the WA, with 965 miles of driving, starting at Ft.Canby S.P.(Illwaco) at
8am on the 6th, then proceeding east along Hwy.4, then south through the
Columbia Gorge along Hwy.84 on the Oregon side, then Hwy.730 to the Walla
Walla River Delta. On the 7th we headed back west along Hwy.14, after
staying overnight in Pasco, through the Columbia Gorge, birding our way
home. The weather was pleasant at most times, with partly sunny to mostly
cloudy skies, but cooler in E WA, with moderate wind at times.

On the 6th we started at Ft.Canby S.P., along with Ken Knittle and Wayne
Tilay, where we located the juv.MOUNTAIN PLOVER, within minutes upon
arriving, as we had one other stop before driving 6 hours to the Walla Walla
River mouth in search of the LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL. The plover was in the
same basic location, as in previous visits, despite the presence of a nearby
PEREGRINE FALCON, and a MERLIN. Next, we quickly located a single
WHITE-TAILED KITE along the lower portion of Chinook Valley Rd, despite
dense foggy conditions.

When we arrived at the Walla Walla River Delta, just south of Wallula in
Walla Walla Co. at 3:15pm, with NO birding stops made after Chinook, (just
so we could make the late afternoon feeding schedule of the gulls), we met
Mike and MerryLynn Denny, Bob Woodley, and other birders, where the adult
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was located until 4:30pm, where it was
photographed, and well viewed, as Mike attracted it, and other gulls by
"chumming" with bread. This is the best time to watch the Lesser
Black-backed Gull, as it actively feeds and roosts with other gulls, before
flying to the north to a night roost. The gull appeared to be darker mantled
than the previous gull in early 2000 at this location, and in Walla Walla,
but was viewed here longer, as it often standed on the mudflats, with nearby
California, Herring, Ring-billed, and a few Glaucous-winged/Western Hybrids,
being obviously paler mantled compared to the Lesser Black-backed Gull.
Other birds at the Walla Walla River Delta included:

34 DUNLIN
3 LEAST SANDPIPERS
1 MERLIN
3 Yellow-rumped"Audubon's"Warblers

On the 7th(today)we started at the Tri-Cities Airport in Franklin Co., where
my mother and I located a single BURROWING OWL, before we headed south to
Hwy.14. At Whitcomb Island in Benton Co., a large songbird flock feeding in
Russian Olive tress consisted of:

1 HERMIT THRUSH
47 Am.Robins
1 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET
4 CEDAR WAXWINGS
1 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
4 Yellow-rumped"Audubon's"Warblers
15 White-crowned Sparrows
1 WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
4 Song Sparrows

Further west, at Maryhill S.P. in Klickitat Co., we located 2 more HERMIT
THRUSHES, and a single TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE.

We drove on a dirt road along the Columbia River, east of Maryhill, where
the following highlights were encountered:

2 PEREGRINE FALCONS
1 PRAIRIE FALCON
2 ROCK WRENS
15 LESSER GOLDFINCHES

At the Maryhill Museum 8 VARIED THRUSHES were noted foraging on the
extensive lawn.

At Lyle we were able to locate the following highlights:

28 WOOD DUCKS
2 ACORN WOODPECKERS
12 LEWIS WOODPECKERS
1 Hairy Woodpecker
7 WESTERN BLUEBIRDS

At Bingen we ran into Stuart Johnson, who helped us locate the male TUFTED
DUCK along the Columbia River, then we located the BLUE JAY that has been
present since October in White Salmon. The general yard and vicinity, where
the Blue Jay was present were very productive with the following notable
species:

1 MERLIN
2 ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS
2 White-breasted Nuthatches
3 Evening Grosbeaks

Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net