Fred Boesche and I birded in eastern Washington on Monday. The day was a
good one, with 128 species, but the weather at times was very poor. The
first stop was at Stampede Pass, where there were good numbers of Townsend's
and MacGillivray's Warblers, and Hammond's Flycatchers, as well as 2
Red-naped and 1 Red-breasted Sapsucker, and a Wood Duck.

The birding on lower Colockum Road was excellent. Perhaps because of the
weather, the riparian growth around the last house on this road was simply
loaded with birds. Many dozens of Chipping Sparrows and Yellow-rumped
Warblers were the main species. Also present were 12! Gray Flycatchers, 3
Dusky Flycatchers, 1 Olive-sided Flycatcher, 2 Wilson's and 2 Nashville
Warblers, 1 Lazuli Bunting, 2 Golden-crowned Sparrows, and 1 Bullock's
Oriole. We worked our way up towards the pass, enjoying a nice display of
wildflowers along the way. The wet meadows which are usually so productive
in the summer were fairly dead. As we got back in the car near the pass, the
thunderstorm we'd been hearing in the distance finally hit. Within a few
minutes, the excessive runoff was flowing down the road in a fastly moving
stream. These flash flood conditions continued all the way down to the
bottom of the road, making the drive somewhat treacherous on an already
muddy and rutted road. Luckily we had no problems.

The first house you come to on the Wenatchee side has several hummingbird
feeders. Many Calliope and Rufous were feeding there in the rain. As we
arrived down at Colockum Creek and the main area of cottonwood forest, the
rain finally subsided. A Wild Turkey foraged in the road at one spot.
Black-headed Grosbeaks, Western Tanagers, and Bullock's Orioles were fairly
obvious. Further down, two newly arrived Yellow-breasted Chats were
extremely cooperative. Other new arrivals included a Lazuli Bunting and a
Cedar Waxwing. Five Lark Sparrows were feeding in the horse corral near Rock
Island Dam. Just beyond that point, a Loggerhead Shrike was perched on a
wire.

As the rain increased once again, we headed over to the Dodson Road
wetlands, where we picked up many Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Black-necked
Stilts, Bank Swallows, and 1 Wilson's Phalarope before it got too dark to
see.

Cheers
Charlie Wright
Bonney Lake, Washington