Subject: Fw: [inland-NW-birders]southeast Washington, 2/21/04
Date: Feb 22 11:15:41 2004
From: mike denny - m.denny at charter.net




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Mike & MerryLynn Denny
323 Scenic View Drive
College Place, WA 99324
509.529.0080 (h)

IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN BIRDING, YOU HAVEN'T LIVED!
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Charles Swift" <charless at moscow.com>
To: "inland birders" <inland-nw-birders at uidaho.edu>
Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2004 10:42 AM
Subject: [inland-NW-birders]southeast Washington, 2/21/04


> Hi All -
>
> We had a decent field trip yesterday despite a lot of driving! Areas
visited
> were Chief Timothy WMA (Asotin Co.), Lyon's Ferry/Palouse Falls area
> (Whitman, Columbia, Franklin Cos.), and Little Goose Dam (Columbia Co.).
>
> Highlights:
>
> adult BALD and GOLDEN EAGLES
> nesting GREAT BLUE HERONS at Lyons Ferry train bridge
> 3 MEW GULLS at Lyons Ferry Fish Hatchery
> GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCHES at Little Goose Dam
>
> Chief Timothy had an adult BALD EAGLE interacting w/ a RED-TAILED HAWK.
The
> red-tail was a dark morph juvenile and there was discussion about its
> identity. Based on the Clark & Wheeler raptor guides it appears that
> separating dark morph and dark Harlan's are difficult in juvenal plumage.
> There were ~20 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS on the water and what we believe
> are cormorant nests on a large dead tree (has anybody confirmed nesting at
> this location??).
>
> There were large nests with attendant RED-TAILED HAWKS regularly along US
12
> between Pomeroy & Starbuck (I'd guess at least 15).
>
> At Lyons Ferry Fish Hatchery we had 3 adult MEW GULLS with about 50
> RING-BILLED GULLS (this seems to be a good winter location for MEW GULL).
> There were 84 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS on the floating logs and GREAT
BLUE
> HERONS nesting on 2 of the train bridge trestles - about 10-20 nests
total.
> We did have some trouble getting into the park but were allowed to the
> Palouse River overlook north of the park (I'm going to contact US Army Cor
ps
> and see if we can arrange access for birders).
>
> Not many birds at PALOUSE FALLS but the falls was spectacular with the
> spring melt. Also had some cooperative YELLOW-BELLIED MARMOTS here (as
well
> as a few elsewhere).
>
> Final birds of the day and the highlight for most were the GRAY-CROWNED
> ROSY-FINCHES at their roost site along the Snake R. near Little Goose Dam.
> This is perhaps the most reliable spot in southeast WA for this species
> (thanks to the Dennys for turning me on to this spot!) We had great looks
as
> they settled into their cliff swallow nests for the night. Most appeared
to
> be the "Hepburn's" or "coastal" race as described in the field guides
(with
> gray head extending to sides of neck) but I also found one of the
"interior"
> race w/ brown cheeks (gray doesn't extend as far). I've often wondered
where
> our wintering ROSY-FINCHES are coming from. If they really are "coastal"
are
> they migrating here from southeast Alaska??
>
>
> thanks, Charles.
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Charles E. Swift
> Moscow, Idaho
> charless at moscow.com
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
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