Today, my husband and I went on a combined fishing and birding
expedition to Eastern Washington. We didn't have much luck locating
cranes, but we did see the previously-reported TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS in
the big mixed flock at the feedlot on McManamon Rd in Othello. We
couldn't get a good count, but others' estimate of 40-50 seemed about
right.

At Lake Lenore, about halfway up the lake, we found one male EURASIAN
WIGEON with four male AMERICAN WIGEON. The Eurasian was associating
closely with a female wigeon of undetermined species. Closer to the
north end of the lake, we found a flock of 11 TUNDRA SWANS. At dusk,
they took off and flew to the south end; we drove alongside them as they
flew, clocking them at 38-40 mph. Most interesting to me, though, was
that four of the swans were very strongly rust-stained on heads and
necks. I am used to seeing stained Snow Geese, but can't recall seeing
stained Tundra Swans in Western Washington. An indication that these
birds are from a different population, perhaps?

Rachel Lawson
Seattle
RachelLawson at softhome.net