Among the six field trips during Sunday's birding tours associated with the Sandhill Crane Festival we turned up more than 100 species. I was out today and found both Black-necked Stilts and American Avocets at the County Line ponds. Mixed in with more than 3500 Canada geese roosting there at 10 am was a single Ross's Goose, easily visible from SR 26. Tricolored Blackbirds remain in abundance at the Para Ponds although the flock moves around quite a bit. Migraine Lake, visible from the Soda Lake dam in CNWR, has at least two male Eurasian Wigeon. In Marsh Unit 1 of Columbia NWR, currently closed to entry but visible from the east side above, there were nearly 900 Sandhill Cranes roosting at mid-day. Another 111 Greater White-fronted Geese joined them. Cranes can still be found scattered around the Crab Creek corridor and in an evening flyoff at Corfu (be on Corfu Road by 6 pm.) Long-billed Curlews are easily found in a variety of locations. So are Loggerhead Shrikes along Lower Crab Creek Road. Check the WA ABA Guide for details on these locations.

Randy Hill
Othello