Hi Tweets --

I've been following 'Tweeters' and OBOL all spring from my California field
station assignment with particular interest in postings about the WHITE-FACED
IBIS outbreak and TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS but haven't seen much lately about
either. There were so many ibis reports of flocks wandering north along the
Oregon coast reported on OBOL that some of those surely made it to and may
still be along the Washington coast.

Now that I'm back in the PNW for a few weeks, I'd like to take a looky-loo at
those two (ie., tick 'em off for Washington) if I can find them at or around
the Adams and Grant County locations which have been well described in
various postings over the past two months.

I am hoping that the Tricolored Blackbirds can be expected to still be in
place at the Soap Lake / Wilson Creek (Grant Co.) and/or the Para Ponds site
near Othello (Adams Co.). Any other recommendations?

Now, what about the White-faced Ibis? It would seem to me that the Othello /
Potholes area would be the best bet for a focused search. Are there any ibis
that have become at least temporarily reliable at any one pond, marsh, or wet
spot in particular, and if so, where? Any other recommendations? There was
mention of a Franklin County location with the suggested potential for
breeding. Where was that exactly?

And finally, any thoughts or comment on Conboy NWR in northern Klickitat
County apart from the fact that its most noted claim to fame is for the
state's only (I think) breeding Sandhill Cranes? No one seems to ever go
there or report on anything around there other than the occasional rare
posting that pops up on OBOL. Conboy NWR is rather off the beaten track and
not on the way to or from just about anywhere which may be why birding visits
and reports are infrequent to nonexistent ...or it's just one big gigantic
secret :-)) I do get a headache from just studying the map in DeLorme when
looking at Conboy :-)) The reason I bring it up is that I am still on the
prowl for a Washington Yellow Rail. Yeah, yeah... a virtually ridiculous
long shot, but who knows until one tries.

Thanks gang. --Richard Rowlett

****************************************************
Richard Rowlett
Bellevue (Eastgate), WA, USA

"Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what
nobody has thought" --Albert Szent-Gyorgi (1893-1986).
****************************************************