Last weekend we went to Leavenworth for our second year of celebrating Birdfest.

We saw 91 species of birds and added 17 to our life list. On Sunday we went on a tour "Birding in the Basin" with Dan Stevens, biology professor and ornithologist from Wenatachee Valley College. We went into the sage brush along the Palisades, and heard SAGE THRASHERS, SAGE SPARROWS, MEADOW LARKS, MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS, LARK SPARROWS, VESPER SPARROWS, CANYON WRENS, AND ROCK WRENS singing. The Sage Thrasher has an amazing song. We also found CHUKARS posing on a rock, AMERICAN KESTRELS, RED TAILED HAWK, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, KINGBIRDS galore, and 2 WASHINGTON GROUND SQUIRRELS. We looked for the PRAIRIE FALCON but they were no where to be seen. We did see one GOLDEN EAGLE.

Then we found Jamison Lake near the town of Rock Island. When you see and hear your first YELLOW HEADED BLACKBIRD, it is quite a thrill. A WESTERN TANAGER flew into a tree directly overhead as we arrived. There were CINNAMON TEAL, REDHEAD DUCKS, PIED BILLED GREBE, BUFFLEHEAD, GADWALL, KILLDEER, MALLARDS, BARROWS GOLDENEYE, MANY RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, RUDDY DUCKS AND AMERICAN COOTS. The coots had chicks and they look nothing like their parents. Coot chicks are really adorable with bright red/orange heads. A pair of HORNED LARK came by and watched us for a while from a short distance and Dan caught them in his scope together. What a pair. We also saw WILSON'S PHALAROPE, HOODED MERGANSERS, BARN SWALLOWS, COMMON GOLDENEYE, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH AND CALIFORNIA AND RING BILLED GULLS. I saw what I thought was a Beaver but Dan clarified that it was a MUSKRAT and beavers are 3 times the size.

We drove up to Badger Mountain for a different habitat and Dan called the call of a Pigmy Owl and it called in the curious birds. First to head in was a DUSKY FLYCATCHER. Then we saw, MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE, CASSINS FINCH, RED BREASTED NUTHATCH, HAIRY WOODPECKER, HOUSE WREN AND PINE SISKINS. There were CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRDS, TREE SWALLOWS, AND CHIPPING SPARROWS, and how could I forget, AMERICAN ROBINS.

We camped along the Icicle River at Johnny's Creek and I spotted a WESTERN WOOD-PEEWEE which I learned had just arrived. In the morning we heard the VARIED THRUSH calling and BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK. There were quite a few YELLOW RUMPED WARBLERS in the woods, and RAVENS. I found a very cute mouse hiding in our wood box. Bob thinks he came from home and hitched a ride.

We wondered down to Sleeping Lady, and amazing place to visit. The place is filled with perfectly placed art, including a clear white Chihulie sculpture placed high on a rock with spot lights. We caught a glimpse of it with the sunlight which is spectacular to see.

We saw our first WHITE HEADED WOODPECKER. There is a pine snag in front of the facility by the road filled with woodpecker holes. A few feet from us we saw a WHITE BREASTED NUTHATCH chick poking its head out of a hole while mother fed her. This was way cute.

Saturday we took a river raft trip and saw much birdlife. Leavenworth is teeming with swallows and we saw TREE, VIOLET-GREEN, BANK, NORTHERN ROUGH WINGED AND BARN SWALLOWS. We also counted, TOWHEE, COMMON GOLDENEYE, CANADA GEESE with a gaggle of teenagers, MCGILVRYS WARBLER OSPREY, RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, FLICKERS, SAYS PHOEBE, STELLERS JAY, CALIFORNIA QUAIL, PILEATED WOODPECKER, DARK EYED JUNCO, TURKEY VULTURES, BREWERS BLACKBIRDS, quite a few COMMON MERGANSERS all paired up , SONG SPARROWS, KILLDEER, HOUSE FINCH, EVENING GROSBEAK, MALLARD AND BULLOCKS ORIOLE.

After the Birdfest was over we drove over to check out the Potholes and search for the BURROWING OWL. An electrical storm was looming overhead but we had some sun so we braved the storm. We read in Birding Washington, by Rob and Natalie MCNair-Huff the exact spot to find the owls and they were not to be seen that day, but the corner of Dodson Road and Frenchman Hill Road is the place to go back and visit. We did see our first BLACK NECKED STILTS and they are most elegant birds. The YELLOW HEADED BLACKBIRDS also hang out there. We encountered GREAT EGRETS, GREAT BLUE HERONS, MEADOWLARKS, SHOVERLER DUCK, REDHEADED DUCK, CINNAMON TEAL, MAGPIE GADWALL AND KILLDEER.

The highlight of the trip, if you can believe there is a highlight after all of this, was WESTERN GREBE doing their mating dance. The spot is 2.5 miles from exit 169 off I90 on South Frontage Road. Take the dirt road and follow it for 2 miles to potholes and walk over the sage. They are gathered there with the WIDE MOUTH BASS. I hear people pay to see this spectacle. We were truly amazed.

Nancy Lander and Bob Bennett