Hello All,
Today while birding with Ken Knittle, along Blue Creek Rd. which is off Mill Creek Rd. east out of Walla Walla MerryLynn relocated the Huttons Vireo that I first discovered on 18 Dec. 2004. This bird is still in a mixed feeding flock near the Blue Mountain Archery Range. This individual is pale yellow/green and has a straw colored bill. This is a first winter record of this species in Eastern Washington. On our way out to look for the Huttons Vireo we encountered an adult Pileated Woodpecker on East Isaacs Ave. in Walla Walla. This was a first for all of us along Isaacs Ave.
We along with Phil Bartley relocated the Williamsons Sapsucker first located by Dennis Rockwell at Two Rivers County Park south of Finley in Benton Co.. This was a Benton Co. first for the four of us. This is the second Benton Co. record of this species. Thanks to Phil we made contact with Nancy LaFramboise whom we met in west Richland and went looking for Mountain Chickadees ,White-breasted Nuthatch and White-throated Sparrow. MerryLynn did hear the nuthatch, but the rest of us missed it. Bob Woodley joined us after we located an adult Greater White-fronted Goose at Lesley Groves Park which flew off with three Cackling Geese just as Bob arrived. We did discover several Austrian Pines being used by what I am sure is Red-breasted Sapsuckers. Only one record in Benton Co.! We also discovered an adult Blue Goose ( Blue morph Snow Goose ) at McNary NWR, HQ in the corn field to the northwest of the HQ. This is a very rare form of the Snow Goose in the Lower Columbia Basin. There are also 200+ Canvasbacks on the HQ display pond.

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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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