Hey Tweeters,

We had a very good day of birding mostly in Grant and Adams Counties
today (yesterday) looking for shorebirds and others. We ended up observing 20
species of shorebirds, the most I've seen in a day in eastern Washington. Our
first stop was at Vantage, where about a dozen CHUKAR were calling loudly
below the overlook mixed in with a few quail. In the trees at the overlook
were a small flock of YELLOW WARBLERS and a WARBLING VIREO - passerine
migration is (barely) under way. We continued east and headed up Dodson Road
to its intersection with Frenchman Hill Rd. There we found scattered
BLACK-NECKED STILTS, numerous CINNAMON TEAL, five LESSER YELLOWLEGS, COMMON
SNIPE, and more. A single juvenile SOLITARY SANDPIPER was observed foraging
at close range at the parking area. The Burrowing Owls were not seen around
their nest here.

Next stop was the Corfu woods. Butterflies were more easily seen here
than birds; mainly the ubiquitous Melissa Blues, Spring Azures, Purplish
Coppers, Clouded and Orange Sulphurs, and Cabbage Whites, but also seen were
Monarch, Common Wood-Nymph, Common (Ochre) Ringlet, Becker's White, and Anise
Swallowtails. Notable birds here of just a few species were a pair of GREAT
HORNED OWLS in a Russian Olive, a WILLOW FLYCATCHER, and a BEWICK'S WREN.

Then it was on to the County Line Ponds, where we were treated to a
great show of shorebirds. In excess of 15 obvious SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS (I
counted 16 several times, not including a fair number of less obvious birds
likely also of this species) were here along with 35 or 40 WESTERNS, and
roughly 20 LEAST SANDPIPERS. A relatively high count of 18 BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS
seemed to prefer to forage along the edges of the ponds, while the peeps
generally stayed on the muddier islands in the ponds. Nearly 50 RED-NECKED
PHALAROPES and 10 WILSON'S PHALAROPES were spinning very quickly while
foraging. One or two of the Wilson's Phalaropes had put on so much weight in
preparation for the upcoming migration that it could barely take off from the
water and had to patter along like a startled coot. Good numbers of AMERICAN
AVOCETS were also present -- this small alkali lake always seems to be among
their favorite haunts. A flock of five AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were there
when we arrived, then flew off some 10 minutes later.

Next on our hit list were the Para Ponds and Mcain's Potato Ponds
north of Othello. The Para Ponds hosted lots of waterfowl but had no mud for
shorebirds. Two BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS were flying around the area - 1
adult and 1 juvenile. At the west "potato pond" we located a single juvenile
STILT SANDPIPER which hung around for quite a while and gave us very nice
scope studies. In the east pond were 5 more STILT SANDPIPERS, all in juvenal
plumage, foraging with a single LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER for a grand total of 6
Stilt Sands. We also saw a very fresh juvenile PECTORAL SANDPIPER, a GREATER
YELLOWLEGS, and many more phalaropes of both species. Peeps were in short
supply here, but of the 20 or so present, at least 5 were SemiSands.

At Linda Coulee, 2 juv SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS and a juv SHORT-BILLED
DOWITCHER (calling), with a flock of much more common LONG-BILLED DOW,
rounded out the shorebirds. We were also able to observe adult CLARK'S GREBES
feeding mostly grown young here which was definitely a high point of the day.
An adult FRANKLIN'S GULL was picked out of the various RING-BILLED and
CALIFORNIA GULLS far out on the water and studied all too briefly before the
gulls departed. Headed back west, we found 4 BURROWING OWLS at N Frontage Rd,
a GREAT EGRET at Winchester Wasteway, and our last shorebird of the day was a
LONG-BILLED CURLEW near Kittitas.

All for now, good birding.

Charlie Wright
Birdking88 at aol.com
Sumner, WA