I led a small group of birders escaping the constant wind and rain of
western Washington to snow-covered areas east of the cascades today. No
waxwings, but there were a number of interesting birds to be listed below.

Sunday, 7 December 2003 (7:30am-4:30pm).
Kittitas County - 60 species.
Overcast; occasional snow flurries; calm wind; 27-35 F.

Green-winged Teal (25)-Getty's Cove.
Ring-necked Duck (4)-Vantage.
Greater Scaup (30)-Vantage.
Lesser Scaup (700)-Vantage.
WHITE-WINGED SCOTER (1m.)-Wanapum Lake, Vantage.
Bufflehead (20)-Vantage.
Hooded Merganser (4)-Getty's Cove.
PACIFIC LOON (1 juv.)-Priest Lake near Wanapum Dam.
Common Loon (6)-Priest Lake.
Horned Grebe (28)-Vantage.
Red-necked Grebe (4)-Wanapum Lake.
Eared Grebe (1)-Ginkgo boat launch.
American White Pelican (13)-Priest Lake.
Northern Harrier (5): all hatch years.
Cooper's Hawk (1)-Vantage.
Red-tailed Hawk (51)
Rough-legged Hawk (14): all light morph; 5 in the Swauk Prairie area.
American Kestrel (18)
Prairie Falcon (2): 1 w/prey at Bettas Rd, chased by RL Hawk; 1-Reecer Ck
Rd.
Herring Gull (4)-Vantage.
Hairy Woodpecker (1)-So. Cle Elum.
Northern Shrike (6: 4 juv., 2 ad.)
Horned Lark (2)-Huntzinger Rd.
Rock Wren (2)-Ginkgo State Park.
Townsend's Solitaire (1)-Ginkgo State Park.
Varied Thrush (5): 3-So. Cle Elum; 2-Ginkgo State Park.
Cedar Waxwing (1)-Ginkgo State Park.
Spotted Towhee (2)-So. Cle Elum.
American Tree Sparrow (2)-Huntzinger Rd.
White-crowned Sparrow (10)-Ginkgo boat launch.
Slate-colored Junco (1)-Ginkgo boat launch, plus one "Cassiar" Junco.
COMMON REDPOLL (1)-So. Cle Elum with siskins.
Pine Siskin (100)-So. Cle Elum.
American Goldfinch (90)-Reecer Ck Rd.

Cheers and good birding,
--
Charlie Wright
Sumner, WA
charlie at birdwright.com