Subject: [Tweeters] Re: Eastern Washington Weekend 4/30-5/1
Date: May 2 14:28:36 2005
From: Aaron Martin - aamartin at gmail.com


Actually Bass Ponds should read "Bull Frog Pond" (Opperman, page 273).
I don't know where I got bass pond. Thanks Paul, for pointing it
out.

Aaron Martin
Seattle, WA

On 5/2/05, Aaron Martin <aamartin at gmail.com> wrote:
> The bugs squished all over my car are clear evidence that spring is
> here. I drove from Seattle Saturday morning and birded my way to
> Spokane for a look at the Great-tailed Grackle. Notable species
> include:
>
> Pacific-slope flycatchers along Tinkham Rd.
> NO Grey Jay at Alpental :(
> Mountain Bluebird - Elk Heights
>
> It should be noted that the access road just off the Rosyln exit on
> I-90 described in Birders guide to Washington is now closed for the
> public. A stoplight and friendly man in the booth told me to turn
> around. He also said there were three other birders had tried the
> same thing earlier. Continuing up towards Rosyln:
>
> WESTERN TANAGER - In the pines across from Bass Ponds
>
> In Spokane there was some race going on called Bloomsday which closed
> down a lot all the streets and my attempts to get out of the city
> tough. Once I did get out I located the GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE. It was
> really odd to see it so far from it's normal habitat.
>
> Next I went looking for a Grasshopper Sparrow on the Waterville
> Plateau. I went to the site described in Opperman as the "Grasshopper
> Sparrow" site and while I didn't see any GRSP I did see several
> BREWERS'S SPARROWS. Also in the area were WESTERN KINGBIRD and SAYS
> PHOBE.
>
> From there I drove to the Para Ponds and saw all the usual action
> there. I ended the day at County Line ponds and got great looks at
> several Wilson's Phalarope in full breeding plumage, knockout!
>
> A lot of driving and even more great birds.
>
> Aaron Martin
> Seattle, WA
>