Birders,

I just couldn't stand it anymore. I missed the Scissor-tailed
Flycatcher near Moses Lake on September 14, but it was still being
seen regularly, at least through the 20th. So I had to make a second
try, driving down late on the 21st. I am pleased to report that I
found the Scissor-tail on the morning of the 22nd, and had some fairly
close looks at it. The bird was present from about 7:40 to 8:25 AM in
the immediate vicinity of the fenced complex on the NE corner of
Randolph and Tyndall, east of the Grant County Airport. At 8:25, it
made a long flight to the northwest, over and beyond Moses Lake
Industries. It appeared to be heading for the distant fence line where
it seems to spend much of the day. As Doug Schonewald indicated in his
message last night, the bird appears to be quite regular in its
habits, being easier to find along Randolph Road early in the morning
and late in the afternoon.

The Scissor-tail temporarily disappeared for about 20 minutes from
about 7:55 to 8:15. It's amazing how hard it can be to spot when it
stays low down in the weeds, which is a lot of the time. While kicking
through the weeds trying to relocate the flycatcher, I accidentally
flushed 3 GRAY PARTRIDGES, my first for the year.

I spent the remainder of the day birding around Moses Lake and the
Potholes Reservoir. At Moses Lake Community Park (formerly State
Park), there were lots of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and WHITE-CROWNED
SPARROWS, but not many other migrants. I did find a HOUSE WREN there,
which is getting a little late. A BEWICK'S WREN (non-migratory) was
also singing loudly.

Perch Point on the east side of the Potholes Reservoir had 3
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, 12 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, a WILSON'S SNIPE, 5
KILLDEER, a GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 3 SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, and a PECTORAL
SANDPIPER. I also heard, but did not see, a SEMIPALMATED PLOVER flying
overhead. I did not see the SANDERLINGS which have been there
recently.

At nearby Lind Coulee, there were no shorebirds, and not much else of
interest either. The water level has gone up by a foot or so in the
last week, basically inundating all the exposed mud that was there
previously.

A check of Potholes Reservoir from a couple of pullouts along the
O'Sullivan Dam, plus the boat launch at the west end of the dam,
produced 15 SANDHILL CRANES migrating southward; 12 AM. WHITE PELICANS
on rocks and in the water; and 4 BONAPARTE'S GULLS and an early adult
HERRING GULL with Ring-bills at the boat launch. (There were also 2
adult HERRING GULLS with Ring-bills and Californias at Perch Point.)
There were at least 6 small terns feeding over the lake, which I
assumed to be COMMON TERNS, plus one CASPIAN TERN. Too bad I didn't
know about the SABINE'S GULLS reported by Randy Hill at Migraine Lake,
which is close by.

I will be posting complete lists of birds seen at some of these
localities soon at http://birdnotes.net .


Wayne C. Weber
Delta,. BC
contopus at telus.net