Decided on short notice to head north toward the Balde Eagle Festival at
Coulee Dam. Never did quite make it there though. Ran into Ruth and
Patrick Sullivan at Atkins Lake along US 2; they had already scoped out a
few birds but may not be reporting until Monday night or Tuesday. Also Ryan
Shaw and four or five cars worth afterward. My wife and I took SR 17 north
to US 2 a mile west of Atkins Lake, then backtracked and north on St Andrews
Road, then west to Woods Road, then north to SR 172 and back to SR 17. We
finished birding at the Leahy jct. Sage Grouse area. A few birds of note:

Snow Goose- one mixed with Canadas just north of the SR 262 turnoff (GR)
along SR 17 between Othello and Moses Lake.

Gyrfalcon- one at Atkins Lake found by the Sullivans.

N Rough-legged Hawk- eight in the Douglas County route that we took
including two dark morphs.

Golden Eagle- one leaving the Leahy grouse area (grouse beware!)

Snow Bunting- one flock of about 230 swirled around the Atkins Lake area for
all to see. More flocks were seen by other parties.

Lapland Longspur- three birds flew over near Atkins Lake. We saw a few
others that were never tracked down and verified, and other groups saw at
least a few as well.

Northern Shrike- one at Blue Lake (GR) and one leaving the Leahy grouse
area.

American Tree Sparrow- A group of at least 15 pished up into Russian-olive
trees along Woods Road about four miles south of SR 172. It is the first
tree patch on the west side of the road when heading south.

Sage Grouse- the Sullivans were just leaving the leahy site as we got there.
They had around 15 males all south of the road, but the birds flushed as
they were leaving. We scoped from different locations for a half hour in
the building precip and decided to leave, but had two grouse flush from near
the road east of the hill, joined by at least five others that all flew
toward the main lek area. This was between 2 and 4 pm, and both groups may
have been working their way toward the lek from their daytime habitation.

Ryan also indicated that the Yellow-billed Loon at Wanapum Dam and at least
one of the Snowy Owls south of Moses Lake were located this morning.

Randy Hill
Othello