- RBA

* northern Idaho / eastern Washington / northeastern Oregon
* as above
* July 2, 2002
* IDWA0207.02

- birds mentioned

Great Gray Owl
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Least Flycatcher
Brewer's Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Common Grackle
Green-tailed Towhee
Bobolink
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (deceased)

- transcript

hotline: northern Idaho / eastern Washington / northeastern Oregon
Date: July 2, 2002
Phone: (208) 882-6195
Compiler: Kas Dumroese
Transcriber: Kas Dumroese - dumroese at iglide dot net

This is Kas Dumroese with the Northern Idaho / Eastern Washington /
Northeastern Oregon bird hotline for Monday 2 Julye (2002). This hotline,
sponsored by Palouse Audubon, is updated every Monday evening. Transcripts
of this RBA and membership info are available on-line at
http://www.palouseaudubon.org

If you wish to bypass this recording and simply leave a message for me,
including the date of your sighting and the DeLorme atlas page numbers and
coordinates if you have them, push the pound button on your telephone now.
Otherwise wait for the beep at the end of the tape. Please give me good
directions, your fellow birdwatchers will appreciate it.

The BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER in Hardy Canyon, Yakima Co WA was seen 30 Jun by
Franny Drobny and Erica Zwick. They found it past the tall lone pine and
before the fence that starts on the left, which is several hundred yards
south of the lone pine. This area is on North Wenas Road nearly 19 miles
west of I-82. To get there, From I-82, take exit 26 (north of Yakima) and go
west on Harrison Road 1.8 miles to North Wenas Road. Turn right and go past
the Wenas Lake public fishing access 1.5 miles. Park here and walk south
over Wenas Creek. WA DeLorme 50, 3-B.

The COMMON GRACKLE reported about 2.5 months ago near Yakima, Yakima Co WA
by Denny Granstrand is still present. To get to the spot from I-82 east of
Yakima, take the Nob Hill Blvd/Highway 24 exit off I-82. Go east about 2
miles, passing the K-Mart on the right with a traffic light at the highway.
The next traffic light will be Birchfield Road. Turn right at the light onto
Birchfield Road. Go .9 miles south. The road takes a curve to the right. The
grackle usually hangs out at the house on the right side of the road just
after the curve. It is frequently seen in the trees and bushes in front of
the house or in the corrals just south of the house. If not seen there, it
might be found on either side of the road for about 200 yards to the south.
Listen for its odd "song" that is a combination between high-pitched squeek
and whistle. WA DeLorme 51, D-5.

Some good Latah Co ID birds include: 2 GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS and 2 BREWER'S
SPARROWS on the west flank of Paradise Ridge (call me for directions), and
Charles Swift reports at least 4 male BOBLINKS in a nice hay field. To get
there from Potlatch take ID 6 east, turn left (north) on Garden Gulch Road
which is past the Bennett Lumber Mill and before the ID 6/ID 9 junction near
Harvard. Follow Garden Gulch to the T intersection and go right to the end
of the road. The Bobolinks were in the field on the right (looking back
towards the highway). It may also be possible to see them from the highway
(there is a truck pulloff just before the junction). Charles heard them
first but easily saw several flying and perched in tops of hay (but not on
fences or power lines). Bobolinks on ID DeLorme 58, B-1.

Charlie Wright found GREAT GRAY OWL nestlings along Biscuit Ridge in Walla
Walla Co WA, for perhaps the first confirmed breeding in the Washington Blue
Mountains. Look for the birds about 9 to 10 miles off of US 12. Also in the
same general area are several GREEN-TAILED TOWHEES.

Another GREAT GRAY OWL was found in the Blue Mountains on 29 Jun according
to Mike and MerryLynn Denny. This bird was southeast of Waitsburg, WA on the
Walla Walla / Columbia county line. Call Mike for more information at
509-529-0080.

A dead YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO was found in Enterprise, OR in mid-June
according to Tom Underhill.

If you have any questions about birds on the report, call me before 9 pm at
208.883.0943. If you see any of the birds mentioned in this report, be sure
to let me know.

Good birding.

Kas