Subject: Walla Walla County, 2 Feb. 2004: LBBG, YBSA.
Date: Feb 23 01:35:58 2004
From: Charlie Wright - charlie at birdwright.com


Greetings all
I took a trip over the mountains today with Fred Boesche, picking up Scott
Downes on our way east. We ran into Andy & Ellen Stepniewski at Hood Park,
and they directed us to the sapsucker. This bird was very active for a
woodpecker, and called regularly. We did some random scouring of the Walla
Walla Valley and the delta area, and finally in the afternoon got lucky with
excellent views of the Lesser Black-backed along the Highway at Touchet.
The bird is clearly darker than anything else you see in the fields there,
but be cautious as California Gulls can look very dark mantled at certain
angles and under bad light conditions.

Hood Park, Burbank Heights (8:30-9:45)
Wood Duck (10)
Northern Saw-whet Owl (1)
Mourning Dove (1 partial albino)
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER (1 juv)
Bewick's Wren (1)

Wallula "Poop" Piles (10:20-10:45)
Ring-billed Gull (300): 1 distinctly pink-tinged individual.
California Gull (150)
Herring Gull (60)
THAYER'S GULL (1 pale juv)
Glaucous-winged Gull (10)

Madame Dorion Park (11:00-11:30)
Bewick's Wren (5)
Marsh Wren (1)

Gose Road, Walla Walla (12:00-1:00pm)
Herring Gull (15)
Glaucous-winged x Western Gull (2)
GLAUCOUS GULL (1ad.)-a rather massive individual.

Field along Hwy 12 at Touchet (2:30-2:50)
Ring-billed Gull (1000)
California Gull (700)
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL (1ad.)
Herring Gull (1-yes only one)

Fishhook Park (4:00-5:30)
Chukar (1+): calling across the Snake R. in Franklin Co.
Eared Grebe (2)
Northern Saw-whet Owl (2)
Bewick's Wren (1)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (40): 5-10 Myrtle.
White-crowned Sparrow (20)

Hmm, that's all!

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