Hello Tweets,

On the the 11th of May,2002 my mother and I participated on the Yakima Co.
Birdathon for the Yakima Valley Audubon Society specifically in the White
Pass area along Hwy.12 to the Hwy.12/410 intersection. The weather was
completely clear and sunny throughout our entire route,with the only
downfall being the White Pass Campground still covered with snow,BUT we
still managed to get three notable species on our second attempt to finsih
our day last evening with an extensive walk into the campground area within
the snow-covered trails. We encountered a total of 123 species, including 3
GREAT EGRETS near the small town of Gleed(west of Yakima),after receiving
the sighting from a second hand source on route during our scouting. The
birds are on private property and up to 3 birds have been noted for 3 days
accordinging to the landowners,but 1-2 birds observed present much longer.
My mother obtained photographs of all 3 birds in their breeding plumage as
they roosted in a willow tree then contined back on our "normal" route along
Hwy.12 back towards White Pass. Our main highlight of the trip was our first
and biggest fallout of migrating songbirds in WA at one location,which
occured along the canal immediately north of the Hwy.12/410 intersection.
The exact area lies along an irrigation canal and is bordered by thick
vegetation consisting of willow, Black Cottonwood trees,and various other
thick vegetation and being close to the water has produced good numbers of
songbirds in the past for us,but never in the magnitude that we observed on
route yesterday. The trees and thick vegetation during our extensive
visit(due to the amount of birds)were "crawling" with mainly warblers,but
other migrating songbirds too with the highest diversity and numbers we have
encountered at one location at one time in our entire birding years in WA.
The most readily noted species in numbers included the following at this
location.

Nashville Warbler 170+(the most abundant warbler on our route in appropriate
habitat)
Orange-crowned Warbler 105+
Yellow-rumped Warbler 75+
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 42+

We were very excited after checking this location and with also getting
several other notable species to add to our list including 2 YELLOW-BREASTED
CHATS,which was one of our main target birds for this exact site along with
observing several other species before finally deciding to continue on our
route. We feel we may have missed something due to the amout of birds at
this location,but we finally decided to continue on our way south towards
White Pass. It seems the lower part of our route produced the highest
overall diversity of species and numbers of birds,with higher elevations
still rather quiet and much limited. We were unable to locate a few rather
common species for this area or expected species including Cooper's Hawk,
California Quail, Pacific-slope Flycatcher,Winter Wren,Cedar Waxwing,and Red
Crossbill, which was probably expected at times during our route,as it seems
there are usually some common species that one can miss. We also managed to
locate 5 owl species upon two owling attempts during our visit to the
Rimrock Lake area, with one additoional species noted at the White Pass
Campground for a total of 6 owl species. Our original efforts in the Rimrock
Lake area were for Flammulated Owl,but we felt it was far too early for this
species at this location.

Our other highlight of the trip was 11 species of woodpeckers,which was a
high for us in one day and probably good for Yakima Co. The best species of
woodpeckers included 1 THREE-TOED WOODPECKER along FR 143 near Clear Lake, 1
BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER along the snow-covered White Pass CG horse trail, up
to 3 WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKERS noted at three seperate locations in the
Rimrock Retreat-Rimrock Lake area,1 pair of RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKERS in an
aspen grove at the Tieton Airport, and our last species of the trip being a
single male WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER at the White Pass CG at campsite #8(a
traditional location for this species at this location in past years). It is
probable due to the good weather we and other Birdathon counters experienced
a good count during the day,but we originally did not at all expect to get
this number of species,especially after seeing that the White Pass area was
completely covered in snow,but with enough effort we obtained a good
list,which can probably be increased with even more effort. A list of
addional highlights not mentioned above follows below within our route:

Common Loon
1 on Rimrock Lake

Wood Duck
3 near the Tieton Aiport on a rather hidden pond from the Tieton Reservoir
Rd. near Rimrock Lake

Harlequin Duck
1 pair along the Tieton River(photographed)

Northern Goshawk
1 along FR 143 near Clear Lake

Golden Eagle
4(2 pair)at the Oak Creek Wildlife Areaa(accessed from Hwy.12)

Prairie Falcon
1 adult over the Oak Creek WA

Common Poorwill
1 calling bird along the Tieton Reservoir Rd.

White-throated Swift
several locations in suitable habitat

Black-chinned Hummingbird
1 male along the Tieton River south of Rimrock Retreat

Lewis' Woodpecker
25+ in the Oak Creek WA to Hwy.12/410 intersection region

Red-naped Sapsucker
1 near the Peninsula Campground at the northend of Rimrock Lake

Western Wood Pewee
1 along the canal north of the Hwy12/410 intersection

Dusky Flycatcher
1 along the canal north of the Hwy.12/410 intersection
1 along Bethel Ridge Rd.

Eastern Kingbird
1 along the canal north of the Hwy.12/410 intersection

Clark's Nutcracker
1 along Hwy.12 at Rimrock Retreat

White-breasted Nuthatch
3 along Bethel Ridge Rd.

Western Bluebird
1 male at an isolated forest clearing along the upper portions of FR 1000
south of Rimrock Lake

Lazuli Bunting
2 along the canal north of the Hwy.12/410 intersection
1 at the Oak Creek WA

Fox Sparrow(migrant)
1 in a thickly-covered weed patch at the Hwy.12/410 intersection

Lincoln's Sparrow
1 along the canal north of the Hwy.12/410 intersection

WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
1 white-striped form amongst a flock of Golden-crowned and up to 2
White-crowned Sparrows along the canal north of Hwy.12/410 intersection

Golden-crowned Sparrow(migrants)
2 at the Tieton Airport
18 along the canal north of Hwy.12/410 intersection
4 at the Oak Creek WA

Purple Finch
2 females along the canal north of the Hwy.12/410 intersection
4(2 pair)at the Hwy.12/410 intersection

Evening Grosbeak
locally abundant at several locations

We also encoutered good numbers of Roosevelt Elk and 2 Coyotes on our
birding route to and from destinations


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net.