Greetings:
On Labor Day (yesterday) Bruce LaBar, Bill Tweit, and I covered a lot of
miles finding birds in eight eastern Washington counties. The weather was
fine; cool in the morning, warming up to around 80? by 3pm with almost no
wind. The highlight was an immature male Rose-breasted Grosbeak observed at
Lyons Ferry Park in Franklin County (apparently a first for that county). As
far as numbers of migrants went, many places seemed average or a bit slow.
Our last stop for passerines at Bassett Park was all too brief, as a huge
flock of Wilson's Warblers was voraciously chomping caterpillars in two elm
trees in the center of the park. A nice Black-and-white Warbler, probably
the same bird seen by others recently, gave us a quick observation, but
there were many birds in the flock that went unseen (including a Tennessee
according to other reports). Red-breasted Nuthatches were indeed literally
everywhere we went, as others have noticed.

Monday, 6 September 2004 (6:30am-7:35pm):
Maryhill to Washtucna - 119 species.

MARYHILL MUSEUM (7:10-7:40):
Red-breasted Nuthatch (5)
Townsend's Solitaire (1)
Hermit Thrush (3)
Western Tanager (5)
'Sooty' Fox Sparrow (1)
Lincoln's Sparrow (2)
Black-headed Grosbeak (1)

CROW BUTTE STATE PARK (8:40-9:00):
Western Grebe (2)
Marsh Wren (1)
Wilson's Warbler (3)
Pine Siskin (1)
Black-tailed Jackrabbit (2)

HOOD PARK (10:30-11:00):
Warbling Vireo (8)
Black-capped Chickadee (2)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (3)
Hermit Thrush (1)
BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER (1)
Townend's Warbler (3)
Western Tanager (9)
Chipping Sparrow (4)
Lincoln's Sparrow (1)

TUCANNON RIVER (1:10):
Lewis's Woodpecker (1)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (1)
Bewick's Wren (4)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (1)
Lincoln's Sparrow (2)

LYONS FERRY PARK (1:30-4:30):
Common Tern (1)
Red-necked Phalarope (6)
Great Horned Owl (1)
Western Wood-Pewee (6)
LEAST FLYCATCHER (1)
Hammond's Flycatcher (8)
Western Kingbird (1)
Cassin's Vireo (1)
Warbling Vireo (5)
Red-eyed Vireo (1)
Bank Swallow (1)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (10)
Rock Wren (2)
Canyon Wren (1)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (5)
Hermit Thrush (3)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (35)
MacGillivray's Warbler (2)
Common Yellowthroat (1)
Wilson's Warbler (12)
Western Tanager (4)
Savannah Sparrow (2)
Lincoln's Sparrow (10)
ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK (1): HY male, just north of parking lot.
Bullock's Oriole (1)

HWY 261 PULLOFF NEAR SPERRY (5:00-5:10):
Great Horned Owl (2)
Say's Phoebe (2)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (2)
Lincoln's Sparrow (3)

BASSETT PARK, WASHTUCNA (5:40-6:20):
Sharp-shinned Hawk (1)
Common Nighthawk (4)
Western Wood-Pewee (3)
Hammond's Flycatcher (20)
Cassin's Vireo (1)
Warbling Vireo (5)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (10)
Yellow Warbler (15)
Townend's Warbler (10)
BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER (1): I felt this bird was a first year male, as I
couldn't see any hint of buff on the flanks or vent.
MacGillivray's Warbler (1)
Wilson's Warbler (80+)
Western Tanager (8)

HATTON REST STOP (6:45):
Baird's Sandpiper (3)
Western Sandpiper (15)
Least Sandpiper (10)

PARA PONDS (7:30-7:45):
Teal, sp. (40): Blue-winged and Cinnamon.
Northern Pintail (5)
Great Egret (1)
Greater Yellowlegs (4)
Lesser Yellowlegs (1)
STILT SANDPIPER (1)
Red-necked Phalarope (5)
Yellow-headed Blackbird (1)

The previous afternoon, 5 September, Bruce and I birded a bit in Klickitat
County. We had an Acorn Woodpecker, 20-30 Lesser Goldfinches, and many
Lewis's Woodpeckers all in the Balch Lake area.

That's all for now
cheers and good birding,
Charlie Wright
Bonney Lake, Washington