This report was mailed for Kerry Turley by http://birdnotes.net

Date: April 6, 2003
Location: Yakima County, Washington


A small group of Yakima Audubon Members spent some time at the
Toppenish Wildlife Refuge today to do some spring cleaning around the
newly remodeled HQ building. The weather was great, so we decided to
do a little birding when the chores were done.

We birded the refuge proper as well as Pumphouse Rd., Old Goldendale
Rd., Marion Dr. Rd., and Lateral "C" Rd. Bird of the day was probably
the two SANDHILL CRANES on the pond at Lateral "A" Rd. and Marion Dr.
Rd. and the two EURASIAN WIGEONS on Pumphouse Rd. There was also a
SNOW GOOSE mixed in with a flock of Canada Geese.

I believe that Rich Repp and John Hebert birded the refuge earlier in
the day and may want to ad to this list if I missed anything.

We also had four(4)TURKEY VULTURES two along Marion Drain at Lat. "A"
and two along Lateral "C" just South of Marion Dr.

Birds seen (in taxonomic order):

Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Snow Goose [1]
Canada Goose
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon [2]
American Wigeon
Mallard
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-Winged Teal
Redhead
Barrow's Goldeneye [3]
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Ring-necked Pheasant
California Quail
American Coot
Sandhill Crane [4]
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt [5]
Dunlin
Common Snipe [6]
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove [7]
Great Horned Owl
Belted Kingfisher [8]
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Loggerhead Shrike [9]
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
Horned Lark [10]
Tree Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Varied Thrush [11]
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Spotted Towhee
American Tree Sparrow [12]
Vesper Sparrow [13]
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Brewer's Blackbird
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

Footnotes:

[1] 1 - with flock of Canada Geese at HQ
[2] 2 - in flooded pasture along Pumphouse Rd.
[3] 1 on the pond near refuge HQ
[4] 2- on Zimmerman's Pond Marion DR. and Lateral "A"
[5] 2 - along Old Goldendale Rd.
[6] Lots of them winnowing at Lateral "C" and Toppenish Creek
[7] on nest at HQ and on nest along Old Goldendale Rd.
[8] 1 - on Hwy 97 just South of the Golf Course
[9] 3 - along Pumphouse Rd.
[10] heard along Marion Drain.
[11] Rich saw them at HQ earlier in the day.
[12] A fleeting look along trail near the obsevation deck at TWR
[13] A good look along trail near the obsevation deck at TWR

Total number of species seen: 54