Subject: Othello Cranes and Tricolored Blkbirds
Date: Apr 10 12:52:25 2003
From: Lynn Schulz - linusq at worldnet.att.net


Hi Birders:
I just got back from a 3-day E WA tour. The trip was Mon-Wed, Apr
7-9. Near Othello our group saw Sandhill Cranes feeding during the
day, and coming
in to roost in the evening. We also saw several Tricolored
Blackbirds. On Tue, Apr 8 we headed west from Vantage on hwy 26
toward Othello, stopping at County Line Ponds where we saw 8
Blk-necked Stilts, 2 Amer. Avocets, 4 Redheads, a male Cinnamon Teal
and some Dunlin. As we approached Othello on hwy 26, we come up on a
plateau. As we came up onto the plateau at mile post 36, about 75
Sandhill Cranes were feeding to the north of the road in a stubble
field w/ irrigator. It is very near the highway. There were some
more cranes at mp 35. It was about 2pm. After going through Othello
we found a Burrowing Owl near the town. If you want that location,
ask me off-list and I may be able to point you to it.
We doubled back to Othello and went west on Main Street as it becomes
Cunningham Rd. Eventually it deadends at a cattleguard w/ cable which
may be across the road. We didn't walk past the cattleguard, but you
can park there and walk west (just don't trespass into the fields
beside the road), to a white gate to view the two big sewer ponds.
Instead we doubled back about 1 block and looked over a blackbird
flock to the north of the road, and fairly close to us. In the flock
were several blackbirds notable for their white wing bars (epualets).
There were several of these male Tricolored Blackbirds among the
Redwings. I counted 6 in one binocular view. We did not try to count
the females, and there may have been several more Tricoloreds in that
flock.
Then we went back to Othello, turning north on hwy 24 as it becomes
McManamon Rd. At the ponds along the road, to the right we saw a
Eurasian Wigeon among several species of waterfowl. Finally at about
5:30 we went back to Othello, and headed west on hwy 26. We wanted to
see Sandhill Cranes coming in to roost. We started seeing Sandhill
Cranes from the hwy near Corfu woods. We turned left (south) on Corfu
Rd as many cranes and geese came in to roost at the stubble field.
What a spectacle to watch and listen to as you go south on Corfu Rd.
Wow. Farther down Corfu Rd, and on the right there was a smaller
group of cranes near some water. Some of them were dancing!, a
spectacle I hadn't been able to see during past trips. Our leader
pointed out a Greater Sandhill Crane! It's neck was quite a bit
taller than the other cranes. It was a darker 1st year bird w/ no red
skin on its head. It's bill was huge compared to the other lesser
Sandhills. The bill seemed longer than its head and very thick. This
bird was bigger and quite different from all the other birds. No
mistaking that we were seeing a Greater Sandhill Crane. We finally
left the Sandhills and geese after 6pm. What a nice show.
Yours, Carol Schulz
DesMoines, WA
linusq at att.net

----- Original Message -----
From: "Grace & Ed Kane" <kane3d2001 at yahoo.com>
To: <hill at cbnn.net>
Cc: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 10:13 PM
Subject: Re: cranes near Othello


| Randy, Tweeters, I was wondering if you have seen any
| Tri-Colored Blackbirds at the Para ponds near Othello
| lately? I haven't seen any mention of them so far
| this spring. Do you know if anyone has seen any?
|
| Ed Kane
|
|
| --- Hill <hill at cbnn.net> wrote:
| > The Sandhill Cranes are still around and really
| > concentrated in the Corfu Road area 12 miles west of
| > Othello. This morning at 8 a.m. there were 11,000
| > concentrated on about 60 acres of corn, a field that
| > appeared to have no kernals left on any of the cobs!
| > Morning seems to be better than evening now, but
| > the evening display still includes a big duck swirl
| > after sunset. Also 100 or more White-fronted Geese
| > roosting in Marsh Unit 1 at the northern end of
| > Columbia NWR.
| >
| > Randy Hill
| > Othello
|
|
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