Subject: Fw: More weekend sightings
Date: Feb 16 11:53:23 2004
From: Hill - hill at cbnn.net



----- Original Message -----
From: Hill
To: inland-nw-birders at uidaho.edu
Sent: Monday, February 16, 2004 11:47 AM
Subject: More weekend sightings


Yesterday Elaine and I headed out for the afternoon hoping the Columbia Basin weather would cooperate. Our first stop was just outside of Othello, where the blackbird flock was active right at the Cenex plant/RR crossing at the north end of Broadway. We saw at least a dozen Tricolored Blackbirds easily without needing to set up a spotting scope. The Para Ponds were full of ducks,including loads of Northern Pintails, and a nice group of Canvasbacks right next to McManamon Road. At the WDFW's Frenchman Hills Reserve (Frenchman Hills Road just off SR 262) we saw at least 5 male Western Bluebirds where seen 11 days earlier, making me wonder if these birds wintered rather than being early spring migrants. There were Tundra Swans at this area (heard) and Birder's Corner (seen).

We headed up Dodson Road to Ephrata and caught SR 17 at Soap Lake, with only a single Northern Shrike and N Rough-legged Hawk of note. The Lower Grand Coulee remains mostly frozen. Fog hampered visibility up the hill heading west on US 2, but we did see three small groups of Snow Buntings along the highway. Heading north on Heritage Road we pished up a small flock of Am Tree Sparrows at an abandoned farm near Road 7, but the rest of the way was pretty slow for birds with only a few ravens and small flocks of Horned Larks. SR 172 had more Horned Larks and rough-legs but no falcons. We checked the Leahy area for grouse and found 4 wandering through sage brush and later has 9 flush from the roadside about a half mile north of the house as we were leaving. A N Shrike was near the house. (The location is described in the new ABA Birder's Guide; please stay on the road and respect private property as trespass is an issue with the landowners.) Heading back on SR 17 we found another shrike, a few Snow Buntings south of Sims Corner, and a flock of 200 or more at the St Andrews turnoff (Road 6). We got one last close-up look at Snow Buntings south of St Andrews where Road O meets US 2 as light was waning.

Randy Hill
Othello

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