On the bright sunny morning of 5/12/05, Karen & Harold
Cottet and I decided to head over to the west side to
look for several potential state birds. We began the
morning in the Sprague Lake area and proceeded west
from there. The trip highlights were as follows:

Sheep Lake - Whitman Co.
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW -1
SAY'S PHOEBE - 1
WESTERN SANDPIPER - 2
BLACK-NECKED STILT - 6
WILSON'S PHALAROPE - 8
GREEN-WINGED TEAL
BLUE-WINGED TEAL
CINNAMON TEAL

mammal - Mt. Cottontail

Playas just north of the Whitman Co. line in Lincoln
Co.

LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER -14
WILSON'S PHALAROPE - 5
BLACK-NECKED STILT -3
ROCK WREN - 2

mammal - Yellow-bellied Marmot & Mule Deer


Sprague Lake - Lincoln Co.
BLACK TERN - 12
WESTERN GREBE - 4

Sprague Lake - Adams Co.
WESTERN KINGBIRD
WHITE PELICAN - 2
DOUBLE CRESTED CORMORANT - 6
BONAPARTE'S GULL - 1

Karakul Hills along Wellsandt Road - Adams Co.
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW - 2
SAVANNAH SPARROW - 1
SWAINSON'S HAWK - 1

Cow Lake - Adams Co.
CASPIAN TERN - 4
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER -1 (along bank at close range,
heard the three note call)
DUNLIN - 1 on first mud bar
NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS & CLIFF SWALLOWS-
gathering mud

Hallin Lake - conspicuous MARSH WRENs

On the paved portion of Wellsandt Road past the
Karakul Hills, a pair of SWAINSON'S HAWKs were
attempting to build a nest out of dried thistles on a
telephone pole.

Moses Lake - Grant Co.
SWAINSON'S HAWK
BURROWING OWL .5 mile south of the RR tracks on 17
(south of I-90)

When we arrived at the Emerald Downs site north of
Auburn, we saw Marv Breece but no Black Phoebe. After
an hour and a half (2-3:30 PM) of loud aircraft
noises, and sifting through a plethora of swallows in
the air, we had to leave empty handed.

Upon arriving at the Mt. Quail stake out yard in Mason
Co. around 5:15 PM, we had a pleasant visit on Mary's
deck. There were plenty of PINE SISKIN, BAND-TAILED
PIGEONs, SPOTTED TOWHEEs, PURPLE FINCHES, AMERICAN
GOLDFINCHES, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, as well as a
BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER, RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, and
an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER present. A coyote was the
new trip mammal.

The Mountain Quail called from close by, but never
came into the clearing. Finally, we tried to wade
through the underbrush to see them. Although Harold
obtained a glimpse of one quail, the rest of us never
saw them and they never flushed.

On 5/13/05 (Lucky Friday the 13th), we tried for the
quail again, but had no more luck. BLACK-HEADED
GROSBEAKS and displaying PURPLE FINCHEs were fun to
watch though. Although we didn't see the Mt. Quail, we
still enjoyed our visit.

mammals - Townsend's Chipmunk & Douglas Squirrel

As we arrived at Bottle Beach, we noted that it was
low tide (11:00 AM). This was not supposed to be a
good time to look for shorebirds. However, we were
rewarded with the sight of hundreds of RED KNOTS
(state lifer) in full alternate plumage dotting the
mudflats. BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERs, WHIMBRELs, and
distant MARBLED GODWITs added to the show. Along the
trail, we saw ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, RUFOUS
HUMMINGBIRD, and YELLOW WARBLER.

When we drove into the Beachcombers Deli lot, the
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD (state lifer) greeted us by
singing from the roof of the western most cottage of
the motel. After a couple of minutes the Mocker flew
into a small tree and fell silent. The culprit was a
cat who was intently stalking the bird from a wooden
fence.

mammal of the area - Black-tailed Deer

On our second attempt for the Emerald Downs Black
Phoebe, we saw the bird after about fifteen minutes. I
heard it call first and spotted the BLACK PHOEBE in an
ash tree at the southeast corner of the bridge. Before
it flew back under the bridge, all of us had good
views of the bird.

Later in the afternoon, we tried Corfu Woods in Grant
County. It was surprisingly slow there. A pair of
BULLOCK'S ORIOLEs were the highlight. Farther down the
road, we saw a WILSON'S WARBLER in a Russian Olive by
the road and another BULLOCK'S ORIOLE. In this same
location, a flock of BANK SWALLOWs were flitting over
the road.

On the Lower Crab Creek Road, we saw at least ten
Washington Ground Squirrels, Swainson's Hawk, and a
colony of NO. ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWs. For the grand
finale, we saw a banded BURROWING OWL east of Othello.

This trip netted me two state lifers (Red Knot & No.
Mockingbird), four Adams Co. lifers (Short-billed
Dowitcher, Grasshopper Sparrow, Dunlin, and
Dowitcher, Grasshopper Sparrow, Dunlin, and Burrowing
Owl), and two Grant Co. lifers (Bank Swallow &
Wilson's Warbler). The Cottets picked up five state
lifers (Red Knot, Mockingbird, SB Dowitcher, Burrowing
Owl, and Black Phoebe).

Gina Sheridan
Spokane, WA

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