Hi Everyone--

I took a weekend trip to the St. Maries area in Idaho to do some birding. On the way east from Vancouver, I stopped to camp at Lewis and Clark Trail State Park, just east of Waitsburg in Columbia County. A Western Screech-Owl was calling over my tent at 0330 on Saturday, and a Yellow-breasted Chat was singing along the nature trail at 0600. Then I went to Coppei Creek, where I heard Veery and saw 4 Gray Catbirds, one of which was carrying nest material, along the south fork. Once at St. Maries, I stopped at the water treatment plant. A Northern Waterthrush was singing across the highway in the bog. North of St. Maries, in the woods between Shady Lane and Rose Creek Road, there were at least 10 American Redstarts, 4 Veeries, maybe 6 Red-eyed Vireos, several Dusky Flycatchers (alas, no Least), and a female moose. The Bobolinks at Tamarack Ridge Rd. are in; I saw 3 displaying males and a female. The flooded fields along River Road had 20 Wilson's Phalaropes, a Greater Yellowlegs, 6 Blue-winged Teal, and 2 Cinnamon Teal. At Heyburn State Park, I saw a Red-necked Grebe from the north end of Benewah Lake Road, and another at Plummer Creek. On the way home, I stopped at the cemetery in Colfax (Whitman County). I was surprised to see a Common Poorwill flying toward me, landing on the ground right in front of the rest rooms, and falling asleep. This was at 1630 hours, nowhere near dark. It's a rare treat to enjoy the full subtleties of a Poorwill's plumage in daylight. Is this bird at least a little ways out of normal range? It was still sleeping when I left. Common Nighthawks were calling near Mesa. Eastern Kingbirds seem to be everywhere. I saw one along US 12 just west of Pomeroy, and two at Umatilla NWR in Oregon.

Mark Miller
Vancouver, WA
snowyowl98683 at msn.com