Hello all,
Mike has been working fire support (hauling firefighters and supplies) for
the School and Burnt Cabin fires here in SE Washington and now he has been
asked to finish out the fire season as the lookout at Table Rock. He has
been up there a week and I was able to stay up there with him the last three
days. Migration is on and we have enjoyed the accipiter shows every day!!
All three at once really put on an aerial display. Have also had several
Red-taileds, 2 Osprey, TV, lots of Kestrels, Prairie Falcon (when he showed
up the kestrels disappeared!!), and many Swifts - one group of 15
White-throated's. The resident Golden Eagles show up every day.
Yesterday a field fire got away and burned Seaman Road up to Lewis Peak -
we got to watch the huge air attack jets flying over and dropping retardant
and water. This area is just past Tom Lamb's Hummingbird place and up the
canyon to the east. They had to work fast to save the homes up on Lewis
Peak - called in fire crews from the School fire at Pomeroy.
Yesterday morning at first light there were Short-eared Owls flying around
just below the lookout. Then last night around 8:30 pm we saw an owl fly
past - went out with a flashlight and there sitting on the rocks 75 ft. away
was a Great Gray Owl!! Then before nine Mike spotted another smaller owl fly
by. Had over a dozen owls fly up or across the road on the way home -
probably a few Boreal's in there. (Can't stop to look as Mike is on the
clock).
Other migrants in the area - all the common warblers, flycatchers, a few
swallows, house wrens, white-crowned and chipping sparrows. Enjoyed Clark's
Nutcrackers and Gray Jays - they just love to fly in the wind off the
lookout too.There are Blue Grouse on the plateau eating grasshoppers and Elk
and Mule Deer visit.

Good birding to all,
MerryLynn

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Mike & MerryLynn Denny
1354 S. E. Central Ave.
College Place, WA 99324
509.529.0080 (h)

IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN BIRDING, YOU HAVEN'T LIVED!
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