My original plan for the day just called for flogging up to Hatton Coulee
reststop and seeing Craig Corder's GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE, but then the plan
seemed to take on a life of it's own. Never did find the Towhee, but I did
add species to all three county lists. At the Barker Ranch on Snively Road
north of Richland (of INDIGO BUNTING fame) heard SORA and AMERICAN BITTERN
and saw a single female WILSON'S PHALAROPE. Seems hard to believe, but the
phalarope was a first for Benton county-how could I have never seen one here
before? Later at Hatton Coulee reststop I found ORANGE-CROWNED,
MacGILLIVRAY'S and WILSON'S WARBLERS. Heading to Kahlotus I discovered the
road into Sand Hills County Park is blocked off and posted - "Private
Property - No Trespassing". Arrived at Kahlotus just in time to spot 37
WHITE-FACED IBIS flying over town heading up Washtucna Coulee toward
Connell. Not a lot of water in Kahlotus Lake, but birds aplenty. Found
VIOLET-GEEN SWALLOWS nesting in the rocks above the east entrance to the
abandoned railroad tunnel just south of town. Arrived at Lost Island HMU at
noon - didn't spend much time, but found more migrating warblers plus
YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS , FORSTER'S TERNS, a flock of 5 CHIPPING SPARROWS, a
GREAT HORNED OWL, a WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE, beaucoup BULLOCK'S ORIOLES and heard
things I couldn't see and didn't recognize.

Anyone interested in birding Lost Island HMU with me on Saturday, starting
early and finishing by about noon?


Dennis Rockwell Kennewick, WA dennis.rockwell at gte.net

One fifth of the people are against everything all the time.
Robert F. Kennedy (1925-1968)