I took a trip last Wednesday to the Othello region to pick up some birds I
missed earlier in the Spring. Had great luck and found some terrific new
areas for me. Thanks to Bob Flores for some tips on hot spots! The best
birding occured on the north side of the potholes area just south-west of
Moses Lake, I found the directions in an old "Winging It" article written by
Mike Denny (I believe). Directions were: take the Hiawatha exit off I-90
and head east on the southern frontage road for about 3 miles. Before you
get to the large powerline towers there is a dirt road heading south. Take
this for what feels like forever, always staying right! Eventually you
start to see the Egrets and Gulls, soon you will come to a dike. I parked
here for about 45 minutes and never heard or saw another individual.
Reminded me of Horicon Marsh area in S/C Wisconsin. Here I saw:
3 WESTERN GREBES (1 on nest)
2 CLARK'S GREBES (1 adding material to a nest)
3 A. WHITE PELICANS (way way up)
GREAT EGRETS (more common than GB HERONS)
7+ B/C NIGHT-HERONS
3 WOOD DUCKS
2 CINNAMON TEAL
2 B/N STILTS (+1 chick)
2 SPOTTED SANDPIPERS
1 FORSTER'S TERN
1 BLACK TERN
1 COMMON NIGHTHAWK
E. KINGBIRD
1 HOUSE WREN
LARK SPARROWS

Other birds seen on trip:
2 COMMON LOONS (Basic plumage on Columbia seen from Ginko overlook)
3 BUFFLEHEAD (females on Para Ponds)
RUDDY DUCK chicks mixed in with others at Para Ponds
2 AM. AVOCETS (pond off Gillis RD near Crab Creek, only 2 of trip and I
checked many different ponds!)
1 LONG-BILLED CURLEW (pond off Gillis RD being chased by Swainson's)
1 CASPIAN TERN (Dodson RD)
1 BURROWING OWL (Dodson RD)
7 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES (Gillis RD before you get to the pond, as coming from
East to West)
2 ROCK WREN (at Ginko overlook)

Jason Paulios
Olympia, WA
JPaulios at hotmail.com

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