Hi Tweets -

We had a good trip to eastern Washington yesterday, under clear, sunny
skies, but the wind was blowing (harder than the 10-15 mph predicted).
We went straight out I-90 on our way to the Vantage Highway with COMMEN
MERGANSER, CANADA GOOSE, MALLARD, AMERICAN WIGEON and TRUMPETER SWAN in
the ponds near Ellensburg. Along the Vantage highway we stopped for an
extended search for sage birds at the Quilomene. With the wind none of
the birds wanted to stay visible for very long, but we eventually had
nice looks at HORNED LARK (one doing its flight song) and SAGE SPARROW.
The average time spent on top of sage bushes was probably about 10
seconds in the wind. No evidence of SAGE THRASHER although they are in -
guess they really don't like the wind). Along the way we had a brief
glimpse of a MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD. It is really too bad to see the way
cheat grass is invading the sage areas.

Next we stopped at the Gingko State Park Interpretive Center on the
Columbia (no wind blowing when we first got there, but picked up by
lunch time). We had VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW there, a ROCK WREN singing just
below the center, and on the river COMMON LOON, HORNED GREBE, BUFFLEHEAD
AND scaup species. A little later the ROCK WREN came up and searched the
vines on the center for food. We got nice looks at a singing SAY'S
PHOEBE, and brief looks at HOUSE FINCH and DOWNY WOODPECKER. Along
Wanapum Road, south of I-90 we got excellent looks at an adult NORTHERN
SHRIKE which perced on the telephone wires.

We stopped near the northern boundary of Wanapum S.P. and walked out on
the bluff to look at the ducks and geese on the river. Guess it was too
many people skylined, the 500+ Canada Geese all took off and flew
further out in the river (probably the same group which had come over us
earlier in a number of big lines). The ducks spooked also, but we were
still able to identify MALLARDS, NORTHERN PINTAIL, BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON
and BARROW'S GOLDENEYE, GREATER SCAUP and COMMON LOON.

On our way back west we cruised the roads east and north of Ellensburg.
We had a RED-TAILED HAWK on the nest east of Kittitas, many RED-TAILED
HAWKS in the open areas, a female NORTHERN HARRIER, and COMMON RAVENS
everywhere.

Coming in toward Cle Elum we had WESTERN BLUEBIRD on Hidden Valley Road.
Outside of Cle Elum we had a group of COMMON MERGANSERS in a pond. Our
route didn't bring us back into Cle Elum along I-90 so we missed the
MUTE SWAN which is hanging out in the pond beside the first westbound
exit to Cle Elum.

The snow is really going quickly over that way and water flow is down in
all the rivers and streams, and the snow depth up toward Snoqualmie Pass
is not what it usually is.

In spite of the wind keeping many of the birds down we had a good day,
with 42 species.

Brian H. Bell
Woodinville WA
bellasoc at isomedia.com