Subject: Vantage to Windust Park weekend
Date: Jun 6 16:55:44 2004
From: Ruth Sullivan - godwit at worldnet.att.net


Hello Tweets and Inland Birders,

This weekend my mother and I checked several known "migrant traps" in search of any rare migrant passerines in areas covering from the Vantage-Wanapum State Park vicinity to Windust Park and a few other areas along the Snake River in Franklin Co. We were unable to actually locate any unusual migrants,but located several highlights including a few late/lingering songbirds from a few locations. Due to nearly constant southerly winds during the entire weekend most areas were very slow making in harder to search for any migrants so most areas were nearly equal in productivity and a few areas were checked twice. We encountered a few rain showers on the 5th with clearing conditions on the 6th,but for the most part winds were the most downfall. Areas covered by specific route include the following:

June 5th,2004

Vantage-Wanapum State Park area(including the Gingko Petrified Forest State Park and along the "old" Vantage/Ellensburg Hwy. to MP 24.3)
Hwy.26 to the Othello area then onto Bassett Park in the town Washtucna in Adams Co.
S.R.261 to Lions Ferry State Park then to Windust Park

June 6th,2004

Windust Park to Washtucna(Bassett Park)then along S.R.26 to Dodson Rd. north to I-90
Vantage area


Probably our best and most cooperative highlight of the trip was the Ash-throated Flycatcher previously reported by Matt Bartels onto Tweeters along the "old" Vantage-Ellensburg Hwy. at MP 24.3,which we observed and photographed both days,as it actively called from fenceposts,dead snags and vegetation patches on both sides of the road. We also observed a single calling Yellow-breasted Chat just south of the same location,as well as the previously reported Yellow-breasted Chat was observed just below the Gingko Interpretive Center with both birds being observed on the 5th. The Ash-throated Flycatcher was very cooperative both days allowing very good close looks so hopefully it may linger at this location for many others to see. We encountered relatively good numbers of Northern Harrier,which was the most abundant raptor species observed along with up to 6 Swainson's Hawks noted both days along Hwy.26 between Hatton and Dodson Rd. Common Nighthawks were also noted at a few locations on both days. A list of additional highlights along with several late migrants include the following at selected locations:

Common Loon
3 along the Columbia River below Wanapum Dam on the 5th

Eared Grebe
1 at the Para Ponds(Othello)on the 5th

Western Grebe
5 above Wanapum Dam on the 5th
14 along the Snake River above Lower Monumental Dam on the 5th

Clark's Grebe
1 north of the Winchester Wasteway Rest Area north of I-90 on the 6th

Am.White Pelican
5 along the Columbia River south of Vantage on the 5th
6 along the Columbia River south of Wanapum Dam on the 5th
7 along McManamon Rd. north of the Para Ponds(Othello)
8 along the Snake River at Lower Monumental Dam on the 5th
4 at Windust Park on the 5th
15 along Dodson Rd. north of Hwy.26 on the 6th


Great Egret
2 along Hwy.26 west of Dodson Rd. on the 5th
5 at the Para Ponds on the 5th

Canvasback
1 pair at the intersection of Dodson and Frenchman Hills Rds. on the 6th

Greater Scaup
7 along the Columbia River north of I-90 at Vantage on the 6th

Common Merganser
1 female with 7 young along the Columbia River at Vantage on the 6th

Osprey
1 pair at Windust Park on the 6th
1 pair along S.R.263 at Lower Monumental Dam on the 6th

Peregrine Falcon
1 at the Para Ponds on the 5th

Black-necked Stilt
12 along Hwy.26 at the "County Line Ponds" west of Othello on the 5th
15 at the Para Ponds on the 5th
5 along Frenchman Hills Rd. west of Dodson Rd. on the 6th

Am.Avocet
22 along Hwy.26 at the "County Line Ponds" on the 5th
9 at the Para Ponds on the 5th

Spotted Sandpiper
1 along Snake River at Windust Park on the 5th
1 along S.R.260 east of the town of Kahlotus on the 6th

Long-billed Curlew
2 along I-90 north of George on the 6th

Wilson's Phalarope
18 along Hwy.26 at the "County Line Ponds" on the 6th
10 at the Para Ponds on the 5th
2 along Frenchman Hills Rd. west of Dodson Rd. on the 6th

Caspian Tern(unusual location)
3 along I-90 at Easton on the 5th

Forster's Tern
1 along Hwy.26 west of Dodson Rd. on the 5th
2 along McManamon Rd. north of the Para Ponds on the 5th

Black Tern
2 at the intersection of Dodson and Frenchman Hills Rds. on the 6th

Barn Owl
1 at Windust Park on the 6th

Long-eared Owl
2 families at Windust Park on the 6th

Black Swift
2 along I-90 west of Snoqualmie Pass on the 5th

White-throated Swift
54+ at Palouse Falls State Park on the 5th

Willow Flycatcher
1 at Bassett Park(Washtucna)on the 5th

Bewick's Wren
1 pair at Bassett Park both days

House Wren
1 pair at Bassett Park both days
1 at Palouse Falls S.P. on the 5th
1 at Windust Park on the 6th

Golden-crowned Kinglet
1 at Wanapum State Park on the 5th

Veery(best migrant of the trip)
1 at Windust Park on the 5th

Swainson's Thrush
1 at Bassett Park on the 5th

Gray Catbird
1 at Windust Park on the 5th

Cedar Waxwing
2 at Palouse Falls S.P. on the 5th
4 at Lyons Ferry S.P. on the 5th
5 below the Gingko Interpretive Center on the 6th

Loggerhead Shrike
1 along S.R.261 north of Palouse Falls S.P. on the 5th
2 along the "old" Vantage-Ellensburg Hwy. on the 6th

Yellow Warbler
3 at Lyons Ferry S.P. on the 5th

Townsend's Warbler
1 at Bassett Park on the 5th

MacGillivray's Warbler
1 at Lyons Ferry S.P. on the 5th

Western Tanager
1 below the Gingko Interpretive Center on the 5th
1 at Palouse Falls S.P. on the 5th

Black-headed Grosbeak
1 at Lyons Ferry S.P. on the 5th

Lark Sparrow
1 south of Wanapum Dam on the 5th
1 north of Vantage on the 5th
2 below the Gingko Interpretive Center on the 6th

Pine Siskin
1 along the "old" Vantage-Ellensburg Hwy. on the 5th
1 south of Vantage on the 6th


Mammals:

2 White-tailed Deer along S.R.260 east of Kahlotus
1 Coyote along the shores of the Columbia River north of Vantage
Yellow-bellied Marmots observed at several locations


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Fircrest,WA
godwit at worldnet.att.net