Subject: Vantage Hwy notes
Date: May 11 13:33:20 2002
From: Scott G. Downes - Downess at cwu.EDU


Tweets,
Had some interesting sightings today in my study area and along the Vantage hwy, so thought I'd share them with people.
First out in the shrubsteppe in the Whiskey Dick, north of the Vantage Hwy along Rocky Coulee, had 1 calling GRAY FLYCATCHER, 1 BULLOCK's ORIOLE being chased by a WESTERN KINGBIRD and finally the real shocker... 1 RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH foraging on bitterbrush! What in the world it was doing out there in the middle of may I'll never know. None of these were in riparian area, just typical bitterbrush/big sage habitat.

After I got done I decided to bird the riparian area in Schnebly coulee along the vantage Hwy (~MP 24).
Had a few migrants:
Many Orange-crowned and Yellow-rumped Warbler.
1 Wilson's Warbler
1 Dusky Flycatcher
1 Golden-crowned Sparrow
1 Yellow-breasted Chat

If you are going along the vantage hwy and have never stopped to check this riparian area out, you should, it holds promise.

Good Birding.

Scott Downes
downess at cwu.edu
Ellensburg WA