I'm reporting on a Bob Sundstrom Mercer Island Community Club field trip to
eastern Washington on Jan 23rd-25th. We thought the Tweeter community
might be interested in knowing the following trip highlights: On Tuesday
morning the 23th we found an immature GYRFALCON on the Old Vantage Hwy east
of Ellensburg at app. mile marker 25. The Gyr was on the side of the road
on a kill that we determined later to be a Chukar (from feathers and
decapicated head). The Gyr took off and flew up the hill with the Chukar
where he could not be found. That afternoon we found an immature PRAIRIE
FALCON on Nelson Road east of Moses Lake. (Nelson Rd. is off L NE but I
cannot find it in the DeLorme). The second day (the 24th) on Grange Road on
the Bridgeport Bar (DeLorme p.100 D/3) we found a flock of about 20 AMERICAN
TREE SPARROWS and 5 GRAY PARTRIDGE. That afternoon we headed south toward
Mansfield via Bridgeport Hill Road south out of Bridgeport (DeLorme p. 84
A/3) and saw 3 CHUKAR (live ones this time), 7 GRAY PARTRIDGE and a flock of
20 HORNED LARKS with 2 SNOW BUNTINGS. Turning east on Hwy 172 (also called
14th NE) and into Mansfield was flock of 50+ HORNED LARKS and 6 SNOW
BUNTINGS. (DeLorme p 84 B/3). Other flocks of Horned Larks and Snow
Buntings were encountered on Hwy 2 near St. Andrews Road (also called O NE)
between mi. markers 182 to 184. There were three more flocks of 50-60 birds
each of mixed Horned Larks and Snow Buntings. (DeLorme p. 85 C,D/5). And
maybe a highlight for the trip was finding a flock of 150+ BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS
on 1/25/01. We had searched three days in many a fruit orchard for them.
They were finally found near an orchard in several Poplar trees near the
Chelan Airport. To reach this spot from Chelan go east out of the city on
alt. 97 just past the airport and turn left onto the first road (unnamed
road) and travel up the hill. The end of the runway is just across from the
fruit orchard and Poplar trees where we saw the birds.(DeLorme p. 84 A,B/1).
Near Orondo on the Columbia River (DeLorme C,D/7) we saw 1 EURASIAN WIDGEON
in the rafts of hundreds of water fowl there. At about 5 pm south of Quincy
on Hwy 281 there was a GREAT HORNED OWL on a cross piece of a telephone
pole...5 poles south of 9 NE. (DeLorme p. 68 C/2). I could go on and on but
I think that I only promised the "highlights".

Maryanne Thorbeck
Seattle