This is a documentation of a GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE seen only on May 16, 2001
at Hatton Cooley Rest Area in Adams county WA.
It is rare in that it was about 60 miles NNW of its nearest known nesting
area in Walla Walla county. Winds the night before had been strong from the
west, shifting to moderate from the south at dawn. Since the bird was out
of habitat at an oasis & was very flighty, & moved on shortly after, I
assume it had been there only a matter of hours & was an "overshoot".

Location of Hatton Cooley Rest area is at the intersection of Hwy 395 & SR
26 in SE Washington. DeLorme p54 B2.

Judy Corder & I (Craig Corder) were working the "unkept" north end of the
rest area at 7:30 am. There is a row of medium-sized pine trees (Sugar
Pine?). Judy spotted the bird first as it flew up from the ground to the
fence. She got a quick look with binocs & it flew up in a pine tree. She
noted the rufous cap & where it had flown. I moved a little & got on the
bird & identified it. Judy moved to see, but the bird moved up in the tree
& then flew about 40 feet through the line of trees. We kept after it, but
every time we moved, it moved. Finally it went into a low Russian Olive
tree & Judy got a better look. We immediately left it alone & reported it
via cell phone to Randy Hill who put it on Tweeters & Inlanders. A few
hours later we tried to relocate the bird with Bob Flores. It was not at
the rest area so we searched the sagebrush cooley across the freeway.
Amazingly we jumped the bird about 1/4 mile away from the rest area! Bob
confirms.

Description: Judy & I saw a Rufous cap, white throat, dark conical bill,
greenish olive back, wings & tail, with a gray body. We also noted bright
gold "lines" in the wings. The bird was noticeably larger than the nearby
House Sparrows. Lighting was perfect; low & behind us. It was silent.

We are very familiar with this bird in eastern Oregon.
Fun find, especially that Bob got to see it too.
Sorry for the other chasers.

Craig & Judy Corder
dual citizens of Hermiston, OR & Cheney, WA
ccorder at eoni.com