Hello,

Rob and I wandered east last Saturday to check out the Gloid Seeps area.
On the way we stopped near vantage and spent some time at the heron
rookery in the Potholes Wildlife Area, which is quickly climbing my list
of favorite birding spots. That particular spot is so lush, like an oasis.

We heard but did not spend enough time to see Chukars on the talus slopes
near Wanaupum Dam by Vantage.

At the Potholes Wildlife Area we saw

150 White Pelicans soaring in a large spiraling column over the heron
rookery. They were floating up on a thermal and looked impressively
graceful.8 more on the water
1 Bairds Sandpiper, immature and quite a bit of contrast on its back feathers
3 Semi-palmated Sandpipers feeding with the Bairds
5 Lesser Yellowlegs
50+ Double-crested Cormorants
30+ Great Egrets
20+ Ring-billed Gulls
1 Great Blue Heron
2 Kestrels
Mourning Doves
Young and molting Meadowlarks who looked quite shaggy
1 Osprey holding a fish on top of a power pole
2 Sage Thrasher
We also saw several flocks of immature and molting sparrows that we
couldn't quite identify.

Off of J St. N.E. north of Moses Lake at the Gloid Seeps Wildlife Area we
saw what we are pretty sure was an immature Lewis Woodpecker who was
prying wood off of a power pole and exploring the metal connecting bar.
We were surprised to see it there since the area is pretty dry with few
trees, and the trees we saw seemed to be mostly Russian olive rather than
the oak we normally associate with Lewises.

We were not impressed with the Gloid Seeps area so we returned to Dodson
Road near Frenchman Hills Road to see if we could find the Burrowing Owl.
We didn't see the owl, but we had fun watching a young Northern Harrier
hunting in the field behind the Russian Olives.

Next weekend we're off to N.E. Washington, maybe the Selkirks.

Cheers,
Natalie McNair-Huff
Tacoma, WA