Hello Tweeters & Inland NW Birders,

I co-led an Audubon field trip today (with Carol Schulz) to eastern
Washington, with 76 total species. It was quite warm over there, though we
ran into patchy rain and a steady breeze in the afternoon. At Swauk
Prairie, where our first birding took place, an adult female Rough-legged
Hawk showed off nicely. Also there, and along Hidden Valley Road, were very
large numbers of Western Bluebirds, but we never got great views of the few
Mountain Bluebirds in the area. Other birds along Hidden Valley Rd were 4
SANDHILL CRANES which flew overhead, Mountain Chickadees and Red Crossbills
in the forests, and an American Kestrel doing a display flight. Later, we
observed a 3rd year Bald Eagle actually chasing a kestrel here, coming
within feet of catching it! Say's Phoebes were quite ubiquitous on this
trip in many typical areas. A flock of about 30 unidentified swallows were
spotted here, either Tree or Violet-green.

At the pond along I-90 just west of the first Ellensburg exit, a GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was the highlight along with more common Tundra Swans,
pintails, wigeons, and the herons in the nearby heronry. In the "Bar-14
pond" in Ellensburg were Ruddy Ducks in fine breeding plumage. Continuing
east, we began driving up the Old Vantage Hwy. One of each shrike species
were along the first part of the road, but neither stuck around very long.
At Schnebly Coulee we had great views of singing Sage Sparrows, and a young
Golden Eagle perched on a telephone pole provided very nice looks.

Our next birding was along Huntzinger Rd a short ways south of Wanapum
Dam, where at least two pairs of Chukars gave stunning views in the rocks
along the road. Multiples of both Rock and Canyon Wrens were singing and
foraging in the same area. Over the river we had numbers of swallows; there
were more than 300 Violet-greens and scattered Tree Swallows in one large
flock. Two Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches flew over the road, but were only seen
by myself. Right at the dam, barely off the western shore, the first summer
YELLOW-BILLED LOON present here since last November was well studied.

We then crossed the river to Grant County, and a while later at Lower
Crab Creek we tried for Long-eared Owl unsuccessfully, but while searching
for them found a Hermit Thrush, my first butterflies of the year (dozens of
Purplish Coppers), a Virginia Rail calling from a swampy area, and a singing
Bewick's Wren formerly rare in this area. Further east on Lower Crab Creek
Rd we had very nice views of a Loggerhead Shrike, then observed roughly 200
Sandhill Cranes on the ground and flying around the town of Smyrna. By then
it was getting late in the evening, so we drove back home towards the
setting sun.

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

Common Loon
Yellow-billed Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Greater White-fronted Goose
Canada Goose
Tundra Swan
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Golden Eagle
American Kestrel
Chukar
Ring-necked Pheasant
California Quail
Virginia Rail
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Killdeer
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Say's Phoebe
Loggerhead Shrike
Northern Shrike
Steller's Jay
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Mountain Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch
Rock Wren
Canyon Wren
Bewick's Wren
Western Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Sage Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Brewer's Blackbird
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch
House Finch
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin
Evening Grosbeak
House Sparrow