Yakkers,

This morning, I heard a Lapland Longspur at the crest of Rattlesnake Ridge,
north of Wapato. This record is earlier by one month, the prior early fall
record in Yakima County (20 October 1996 at the Cold Creek Divide on the
Yakima Training Center). Brisk north winds began last night, perhaps
speeding the southward movement of this and other birds, as the orchards
this morning seemed to have a fair number of Golden-crowned Kinglets and
Dark-eyed Juncos, at least more than yesterday at this time, when winds were
weak and from the south.

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA
steppie at nwinfo.net