Subject: [Tweeters] Gulls at Lower Monumental Dam, WW Co.
Date: Jan 22 20:29:41 2005
From: mike denny - m.denny at charter.net


Hello All,
Today in an effort to escape the fog in the Walla Walla Valley, MerryLynn and I drove north to the Snake River to see what birds were around Lower Monumental Dam. This dam is seldom visited these post 9-11 days as it is closed to cross traffic and only a few fishermen ever get up to the Walla Walla County side. When we arrived it instantly became apparent that the area was loaded with gulls. Fun! We located the following species...........

Glaucous-winged Gull........16 birds
California Gull....................620+ birds
Ring-billed Gull..................150 birds
Herring Gull........................45 birds, one very small individual was seen, which I photoed.
MEW GULL...........................2 birds, photoed
Glaucous-winged X Western Hybrid adult....1 bird
THAYERS GULL.......................1 bird, photoed
WESTERN GULL.................1 bird, photoed
GLAUCOUS GULL..............1 SECOND WINTER BIRD, photoed
Common Merganser.............147 birds below dam
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER...1 female below dam
Double-crested Cormorant......162 birds
Bald Eagle.............................1 bird
Common Goldeneye................185 birds
Great Blue Heron......................4 birds
White-crowned Sparrow.............175 birds, 98% sub-adults

Great area to bird. We chummed with old bread just east of the restrooms on the Walla Walla County end of the dam, had 5-600 gulls come into the chum.
Later Mike



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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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