Hello Tweets,

Our recent two day trip to eastern WA mainly in search of migrant shorebirds
allowed us to experience the beginning of songbird migration at just a few
visited locations that often host relatively good numbers of migrant
songbirds such as Washtucna,BUT our stay at the Sprague Lake Rest Area and a
brief visit to an area in north Ritzville in Adams Co. allowed us to see how
recent weather conditions or other factors may have induced further songbird
migration but in spots with some areas that we visited hosting NO migrants
such as few brief stops made along S.R. 261 bewteen Ritzville and Washtucna,
Kahlotus in Franklin Co. and the Hatton Rest Area along Hwy.26 in Adams Co.
We did enjoy visiting all the locations we visited with some areas being
more favorable than others due to diversity and productivity and/or birding
potential,BUT the areas along Hwy.23 between Sprague and Lamont in both
Lincoln and Whitman Co. are are favorite shorebird locations so far in
eastern WA with great further potential for shorebird diversity and
seemingly to be relatively underbirded.

As far as songbirds we enjoyed locating several songbird migrants,especially
at the westbound Sprague Lake Rest Area on both days that hosted a fair,but
small assortment of passerines on both days of our visit with the following
species noted within a limited area:

August 24th 7:15pm-8pm

2 Western Wood Pewees
1 Pacific-slope Flycatcher
2 Yellow Warblers
1 Yellow-rumped Warbler
1 Western Tanager

August 25th 5:45am-6:42am

1 Western Wood Pewee
7 Western Kingbirds
9 Eastern Kingbirds
1 Canyon Wren
1 BEWICK'S WREN
3 Cedar Waxwings
3 Yellow Warblers
1 Chipping Sparrow
2 Western Tanagers
4 Am.Goldfinches

At Ritzville a brief check at an area along the north portion of town
produced two Wilson's Warblers and a single Hammond's Flycatcher amongst a
large flock of 44 Chipping Sparrows,being mostly young birds with 2 adults.

At Washtucna and the Russian Olive grove near Bassett Park temperatures were
very warm,but the shade of trees and other vegetation allowed us to locate a
few more additional migrant songbirds including three species of Empidonax
flycatchers with a single GRAY FLYCATCHER,and 1 of 3 cooperative Hammond's
Flycatcher that was very bright,being already in fall plumage. This was my
second observation of Gray Flycatcher at Washtucna in fall migration,so
perhaps they occur more readily at this location or may be undetected at
times,but the town of Washtucna in general has much potential for
migrants,as an oasis with limited but ample habitats and cover. Two of the
three Dusky Flycatchers noted at Washtucna were cooperative and foraging
loosely along the canal and bathing themselves in the available sprinklers
with Bassett Park,while the other remaining species noted(except for the
shorebirds noted at the Washtucna sewage pond)were all observed from the
vegetated area north immediately north of the park,including a single Barn
Owl, MacGillivray's Warbler,and 3 Western Tanagers.

Sprague Lake in both Lincoln and Adams Cos. was quite productive for
waterbirds compared to our last visit on the the 27th and 28th of July,with
good numbers of Western Grebes and other waterbird species noted during two
visits from three vantage points along Danekas Rd. on the eastern edge of
the lake that included:

15 Eared Grebes on the 25th
75 Am.White Pelicans on the 25th
17 Red-necked Phalaropes on the 24th
1 juvenile FRANKLIN'S GULL on the 24th
6 Bonaparte's Gulls on the 24th
1 Caspian Tern on the 25th
1 1st year COMMON TERN on the 24th
8 Black Terns on the 25th

Our new visit to Texas Lake in Whitman Co. was quite rewarding for
shorebirds,despite the lake being accessed off a dusty road about 6 miles
south of Hwy.23,but a few additional noteworthy species included a single
flyover Vaux's Swift and a nearby Sage Thrasher.

Our visit to the araes along Hwy.23 also in addition to shorebirds produced
our first Badger at Sheep Lake that was found by my mother at close but safe
range,then observed by me as it layed low at it's presumed burrow(with many
burrows noted along the dirt road along the eastern edge of the lake). The
Badger just allowed us to watch him or her as it watched us,while we had our
spotting scope up while also counting shorebirds and waterbirds on the lake.
Eventhough this is probably a fairly common mammal species in portion of
eastern WA we have never encountered a single live specimen with our many
jaunts and travels in eastern WA abroad. We also encountered 3 seperate
Coyotes at 3 locations during our two day trip in addition to three Mule
Deer and a heard only rattlesnake at the Silica Rd. wetland.


Sincerely,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net