Hello Tweets and NW Inlanders,

We enjoyed a rewarding 3 day excursion to several eastern WA locations on the 15th-17th of June primarily in Walla Walla Co. for a few target species. Our trip was basically a combined trip due to also including searching made for dragonflies,including the very recent discovery of Pronghorn Clubtails near the town of Toppenish in Yakima Co. We enjoyed locating this rare species along with 13 other dragonfly species during our trip at other locations,which added to the excitement of the trip. The weather was very good and warm all 3 days,except for minor rain showers that had moved in from the west during our overnight stay above the town of Dixie in Walla Walla Co. Our trip began at Hardy Canyon in Yakima Co. and extended eastward along Hwy.82/12 to the Walla Walla River Delta on the 15th,then spending a good day in the Dixie/Biscuit Ridge area on the 17th,then working our way home from Dixie on the 18th. As mentioned our main efforts were confined to Walla Walla Co. with the recent sightings of several noteworthy highlights with our primary target being the adult female Broad-tailed Hummingbird at Tom Lamb's residence along lower portion of Biscuit Ridge Rd. We enjoyed visiting with Tom on the 16th at his famed hummingbird establishment and although hummingbird numbers were not as dense and high as normal due to breeding we had a great time seeing good numbers of Black-chinned,Calliope,and Rufous Hummingbirds in that order of abundance. We viewed the Broad-tailed Hummingbird on 4 separate occasions during our visit on the 16th with our main efforts in obtaining photographs of the bird and we enjoyed visiting with Tom and learning more about his establishment and telling him of our birding excursions,etc. The Broad-tailed Hummingbird was quite noticeable when it was present,but at times was elusive and it seemed to favor one feeder area within Tom's establishment and the bird never visited other hummingbird feeders placed throughout his yard. The bird was noticeable larger than the nearby Black-chinned and Rufous Hummingbirds,being the same size as an Anna's Hummingbird but with far different markings and contrast. The Broad-tailed Hummingbird never made a visit 1 of 3 feeders more than 15 seconds and quickly moved into the thick cover of a nearby dense cedar tree that offered shade and cover for many of the hummingbirds. The bird showed clear and noticeable cinnamon/buffy sides extending from the shoulders to nearly the tail coverts,which was far heavier in tone than any Calliope Hummingbird and not as extreme as a Rufous Hummingbird. We viewed the fanned tail on a few occasions that revealed the large white outer primary tail tips with rust patches within the green tail.

Our other bird highlights of the trip included 3 shorebird species being either very late or very early migrants including a single Greater Yellowlegs at the Dodd-Iowa Beef"ponds" on the 15th, a Least Sandpiper at the Walla Walla River Delta on the 15th, and a Red-necked Phalarope at the Walla Walla River Delta on the 17th and 18th.The Walla Walla River Delta was quite low with large areas of ample mudflats on the 15th,16th and 17th,but conditions on a return visit on the 17th yielded less mudflats. Other key highlights of our trip included the following notable species:


Common Loon
1 along Hwy.12 at Rimrock Lake,Yakima Co. on the 15th
5 off the Walla Walla River Delta,WW on the 15th

Western Grebe
2 along Hwy.12 at Rimrock Lake,YA on the 15th
35 off the Walla Walla River Delta,WW on the 15th(with 20 there on the 17th)

Clark's Grebe
1 at the Walla Walla River Delta,WW on the 16th and 17th

Am.White Pelican
7 along Hwy.82/12 at Zillah,YA on the 15th(with 1 there on the 17th)
15 along Hwy.82/12 at Granger,YA on the 15th
20 along Hwy.82/12 at Prosser,Benton Co. on the 15th
4 along Hwy.82/12 at Benton City,BE on the 15th
10 along Hwy.182/12 at Richland,BE on the 15th
8 along Hwy.12 at McNary NWR,WW on the 15th
35 at the Walla Walla River Delta,WW on the 15th and 16th(with 15 there on the 17th)
5 along Hwy.82/12 west of Prosser,BE on the 17th

Great Egret
1 at the Walla Walla River Delta,WW on the 17th

Black-crowned Night Heron
3 at the Dodd Rd.-Iowa Beef"ponds" on the 15th(with 1 at the Dodd Rd."sludge" ponds on the 17th)
8 at the Walla Walla River Delta,WW on the 15th

Greater Scaup
2 males at the Dodd Rd.-Iowa Beef"ponds",WW on the 15th(amongst good numbers of 13 other waterfowl species)

Bufflehead
1 at the Dodd Rd.-Iowa Beef"ponds",WW on the 15th

Northern Harrier
5 at the Toppenish NWR,YA on the 15th and 17th
3 along upper Biscuit Ridge Rd.,WW on the 16th

Cooper's Hawk
1 at lower Hardy Canyon,YA on the 15th

Swainson's Hawk
13 between College Place to Touchet,WW on the 17th

Golden Eagle
1 along Hwy.12 at the Oak Creek Wildlife Area,YA on the 15th

Prairie Falcon
1 along upper Biscuit Ridge Rd.,WW on the 15th

Black-necked Stilt
44 at the Dodd Rd.-Iowa Beef"ponds",WW on the 15th(with 12 at the Dodd Rd."sludge"ponds on the 17th)
1 along Hwy.82/12 at Granger,YA on the 17th

Am.Avocet
63 at the Dodd Rd.-Iowa Beef"ponds",WW on the 15th(with 7 at the Dodd Rd."sludge" ponds on the 17th)
9 at the Walla Walla River Delta,WW on the 15th and 16th(with 3 there on the 17th)

Spotted Sandpiper
2 at the Walla Walla River Delta,WW on the 15th,16th,and 17th

Wilson's Phalarope
1 at the Toppenish NWR,YA on the 15th
3 at the Dodd Rd.-Iowa Beef Rd."ponds",WW on the 15th

Franklin's Gull
2 at the Walla Walla River Delta,WW on the 15th(with 3 there on the 16th and 2 there on the 17th)

Glaucous-winged Gull
2 at the Walla Walla River Delta,WW on the 15th,16th,and 17th(amongst good numbers of California and Ring-billed Gulls)

Forster's Tern
2 along Hwy.12 at the McNary NWR,WW on the 15th

Great Horned Owl
1 adult and 2 immature birds along upper Biscuit Ridge Rd.,WW on the 16th and 17th

Common Nighthawk
15 over the Walla Walla River Delta,WW on the 15th

White-throated Swift
15-20 over the Walla Walla River Delta,WW on the 15th

Williamson's Sapsucker
1 along upper Biscuit Ridge Rd.,WW on the 16th

Pileated Woodpecker
1 along upper Biscuit Ridge Rd.,WW on the 16th

Least Flycatcher
4(1 pair at a nestsite and 2 singing birds)at lower Hardy Canyon,YA on the 15th

Cordilleran-type Flycatcher
2 along Biscuit Ridge Rd.(Dry Creek),WW on the 16th(with 2 additional birds heard singing at 2 separate locations along lower Biscuit Ridge Rd.)

Western Kingbird(noteworthy location)
2 along Hwy.12 east of Randle,Lewis Co. on the 15th

Purple Martin
1 adult male flying and singing above the Toppenish NWR,YA on the 15th(amongst large numbers of Cliff and Bank Swallows)

Bank Swallow(noteworthy location)
5 along Hwy.12 east of Randle,LE on the 15th

Chestnut-backed Chickadee
2 along upper Biscuit Ridge Rd.,WW on the 16th

Veery
10-12 along lower Biscuit Ridge Rd.,WW on the 16th

Gray Catbird
3 at lower Hardy Canyon,YA on the 15th
3 at the Toppenish NWR,YA on the 15th(with 1 there on the 17th)
1 along the Yakima River at Benton City,BE on the 17th

Loggerhead Shrike
3 along Wenas Rd.,YA on the 15th

Wilson's Warbler
1 along upper Biscuit Ridge Rd.,WW on the 16th

Yellow-breasted Chat
4 at lower Hardy Canyon,YA on the 15th

Lazuli Bunting
1 along Hwy.12 at Glenoma,LE on the 15th
1 at lower Hardy Canyon,YA on the 15th
8 along upper Biscuit Ridge Rd.,WW on the 16th

Green-tailed Towhee
2 along upper Biscuit Ridge Rd.,WW on the 16th(observed at the traditional location along Biscuit Ridge,but further downhill from the main road in thick,shrubby habitat)

"Slate-colored"Fox Sparrow
2 along upper Biscuit Ridge Rd.,WW on the 16th


Our visit to the upper portion of Biscuit Ridge Rd. on the 16th produced good numbers of nesting passerines including Dusky Flycatchers,Orange-crowned and MacGillivray's Warblers with smaller numbers of other songbird species. This location was primarily near the Green-tailed Towhee location,but on the north side of the road.


Our mammal highlight of the trip was a single Striped Skunk observed along Wenas Rd.


Dragonfly species observed during our trip included the following:

Emma's Dancer
Vivid Dancer
Taiga Bluet
Tule Bluet
Boreal Bluet
Northern Bluet
Blue-eyed Darner
Paddle-tailed Darner
Common Green Darner
Pronghorn Clubtail
Western Pondhawk
Twelve-spotted Skimmer
Common Whitetail
Cardinal Meadowhawk



Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Fircrest,WA
godwit at worldnet.att.net