Friendly folks, beautiful scenery, and birds galore....what more could you ask for! This was my first year visiting Wenas and I truly hope to make a habit out of it. My husband and I arrived Saturday around noon and stayed till around noon Monday. I feel like I barely had to try to end up with 77 species (a few happening to and from Wenas). I came home with 31 new year birds and several life birds. This area is truly a treasure! It was nice to finally have some faces to go with the names so often seen on Tweeters. What a great group of folks we have here!
Having been focusing a lot on birding by ear and having never birded in this area before, I found myself overwhelmed with new sounds, some I remembered from the crash course I gave myself before going on this trip...others...well it was a humbling experience. And to make matters even more interesting...eastern residents of the same species I hear on the west side, sound just a little different. What a great training session the birds gave me this weekend!
I also accidentally discovered the joys of bird banding, when stumbling upon the banding group while out birding. When a beautiful male American Goldfinch was handed over to me to release...I simply cannot express with mere words the impression it made on me...but I doubt I could have fit a bigger smile on my face. I turned around looked at Clarice and announced myself hooked. She smiled with what seemed to be a little bit of satisfaction and without missing a beat told me where to show up to help in the future...was I set up??? Who cares! Thanks Clarice for introducing me to this.

Here are some of the highlights for me:

Western Wood-Pewee ( singing everywhere...sounding just like a squeaky swing set!)
Lewis's Woodpecker
White-headed Woodpecker
Cassin's Finch
House Wrens (singing and singing and singing...)
Pygmy Nuthatch (What great fun to just sit on a stump and watch them come and go from their nest hole)
White-breasted Nuthatch
Common Poor-will (calling as the last light faded from the sky as my husband and I stood on a ridge top watching night descend)
Veery
Eastern Kingbird
Western Kingbird
Spotted Sandpiper
Western Bluebird
Townsend Solitaire
Least Flycatcher
Hammond's Flycatcher
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Yellow-breasted Chat
Gray Flycatcher
Calliope Hummingbird
Chipping Sparrow
Ruffed Grouse
Common Nighthawk (this bird was flying during the day over a pasture as we were heading towards Selah. What an odd time to see a night bird...but there was no mistaking it!)

Some birds I missed that I had hoped for were Lazuli Bunting and Gray Catbird. Also I did not get a chance to hear or see any owls. The owling trips were both full by the time I got there Saturday noonish...which was a disappointment. Hopefully next year I'll get there in time!

On the way home, we took 410 and then made our way through Mount Rainier NP. At the pass on 410 we stood in a thick cloud, watching the snow melt flow down the PCT like a river. The wind was cold and strong and I neither heard nor saw any birds, but as we drove away a Clark's Nutcracker flew into sight and perched, looked at us and flew off. And then the biggest birdy highlight for me happened as we drove through a cloudy mist between Louise and Reflection Lakes. Mark suddenly slammed on the breaks and there on the side of the road was a beautiful hen White-tailed Ptarmigan. This is only the second time I have seen this bird and the oddest thing about it.... the first time was while backpacking the wonderland trail...I was in the exact same area, a few feet over where the trail goes between Reflection and Louise Lakes, when another hen flew out from under my feet scaring the daylights out of me. I would have to say this spot is blessed for me when it comes to White-tai!
led
Ptarmigans!

Happy Birding,

Maurie Kirschner
Olympia WA
outdoorchickerooatyahoodotcom




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