Sorry for the belated report, been on the road alot. The best sightings come from the White Pass area. I visited the burned forest just west of the pass that was described by Patrick Sullivan about this time last year. What a great spot, thanks Patrick and Ruth for pointing this site out. Dates of my visits were June 15 and again on June 17. At the burn were 3 to 5 Black-backed Woodpeckers (including one active nest found), 3 Three-toed Woodpeckers, a couple of pair of Hairy Woodpeckers, and several Townsends Solitaire, and Mountain Bluebirds. It's a bit of a hike, but not bad. At the clearcut at the end of the road where you park were Blue Grouse (3), Pileated Woodpecker, Clarks Nutcraker, Hermit Thrush, Varied Thrush, Hammonds Flycatcher, many Townsends Warblers, and a few others. To get to this site take Forest Service Road 1284 which is just west of White Pass. The is a Wa DOT maintenance yard just up the road, and signs for Sand Lake Trail. Drive to the end of the road; right at the maintenance yard, left at the quarry and road junction further on. The road is suitable for passenger vehicles, but you must negotiate a small washout, some debris, and a few slumps. The end of the road is 2.5 to 3 miles in, the Sand Lake trial crosses the road a few hundred yards back from the end. At the end of the road you can see a small piece of the burn ahead and up the hill. On the 15th I walked in on a rough trial from the end of the road then scrambled up the hill (might want to take a map, compass and brush up on your survival training for this route). The better way in is to take the Sand Lake trail (trail park pass required - can be obtained at Forest Service office at Randle/ Packwood, etc.). The trail climbs the slope and enters the burn in something under a mile, then proceeds through the burn. A nice area!
Other interesting sightings include: Williamson's Sapsucker at White Pass Lake; a nest of a paired Red-naped and Red-breasted Sapsucker at the parking area next to the small marsh on the west side of White Pass. Earlier sightings include: 2 Black-throated Sparrows on June 9, south of Vantage off of Huntzinger (sp?) Rd, at the base of the slope across (west) from the RR Trestle where reported by Patrick Sullivan a week or so previous; Single Burrowing Owls were present (6/9-10) just west (on Frenchmans Hills Road) of the corner of Dodson Road and Frenchmans Hills Road, 1 mile east of Moses Lake along I-90 (south side), and near MP 82 along Highway 28 (just in Lincoln Co.).
On 6/10, at least 30 Tri-colored Blackbirds were present east of Wilson Creek. Like Richard Rowlett, I could not find any on territory, but a flock was feeding in a stock pen along Rd 22 NE, 3.3 miles east from Highway 28. This was nearly a pure flock of Tri-colored's with a few cowbirds mixed in. Several birds looked like young of the year. There was also a singing Grasshopper Sparrow in this area. And finally, a visit to Wenas Creek on 6/19 failed to produce White headed Woodpecker or Least Flycatcher at Hardy Canyon. I did have a White headed woodpecker along Umtanum Rd in the first Ponderosa Pine stand east of Ellensburg Pass on 6/9, however.
Good Luck and Good Birding. Bill Shelmerdine, Georn1 at msn.com
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