This is the result of a YVAS fieldtrip lead by myself yesterday April 8. It
is interesting that while the same route was run for WOS the previous
saturday, very few things about it were similar. Last saturday the rain
prevented most in not all of the stops in Vantage Highway from being
productive, but cleared up in the afternoon to allow for nice looks at SAGE
SPARROW and displaying LONG-BILLED CURLEW on the Wahluke slope. Yesterday
good in the morning, soggy afternoon. Last saturday the tally was 53
species, yesterday 74. Combined for the two weeks, 81 species.

Scott Downes
downess at charter.net
Yakima WA
----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott Downes" <downess at charter.net>
To: <BirdYak at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, April 09, 2006 6:57 AM
Subject: Vantage Loop Trip April 8, 2006


> With the threat of rain and wind looming in the forcast I took 7
> participants north to the Vantage Highway with the intent of birding
through
> Vantage, along the Columbia, hitting the Wahluke Slope and returning via
the
> Moxee Valley. Leaving at 6:30 from Yakima, the morning weather was much
> better than expected with only a couple of sprinkles and a light breeze.
The
> trip headed up through the Yakima Canyon with a stop at the GOLDEN EAGLE
> nest, CHUKARS and CANYON WREN were heard but not seen. Many Bighorn sheep
> were on the slopes here, roughly 25-30 animals. An immature and an adult
> BALD EAGLE were found along the river in the north canyon.
> We enjoyed great looks at MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD, both male and females. A walk
> into the Quilomene wildlife area (accessed at milepost 20) allowed
stunning
> up close views of SAGE THRASHER, BREWER'S SPARROW, VESPER SPARROW and SAGE
> SPARROW, some of the birds were viewed from as little as 10 feet away! A
> traditional showing of SHORT-EARED OWL in the valley (they have bred here
in
> most years) was a delight to everyone.
> The wildflowers were covered on this walk and most only species like
> Sagebrush Violet and Sagebrush buttercup were evident but Wild Onion
> (Allium), Hooker's Balsamroot, Astragalus purshii and Lupinus aridus.
> Further down the coulee a stop at a traditional GREAT-HORNED OWL nest in
the
> cliff face allowed everyone great views of this owl. She was puffed out in
a
> couple of places, indicating that there may be young owlets underneath
her.
> Good looks at LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE sitting on the powerlines just before
> Vantage allowed people a good study of this species. A lingering
> ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was at milepost 19.
> Waterbirds at Vantage included many wonderful looks at breeding plumaged
> COMMON LOONS, some within a couple hundred feet of the vehicles in Getty's
> Cove. Good numers of GREATER SCAUP remained north of Wanapum Dam while a
> large flock of goldeneyes produced at least 6 BARROW'S GOLDENEYE below
> wanapum dam. This is a traditional spot for wintering Barrow's. 6 AMERICAN
> WHITE PELICANS were drifting down the river. Breeding plumaged
YELLOW-RUMPED
> WARBLERS put on a show in the day use area of Wanapum Dam state park.
> Several gulls were loafing on the river in different spots with 4 seperate
> GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS, 2 HERRING GULLS and 3 distant CALIFORNIA GULLS.
> Then the rain hit about 1:00.... stops along the water at Priest Rapids
were
> to say the least, soggy. With pending commitments by some and no clearing
in
> sight, 3 of the group took an early return for Yakima. As the rain was
> forcing more car birding a route change was in order. The wahluke slope
was
> skipped and thanks to a very gracious landowner access into a normally
> closed portion of the cliffs on the west side of Columbia below Priest
> Rapids dam was obtained. Rain continued for a good period here but a pair
of
> RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, a good bird for the Columbia was found floating
> downstream in the Benton County portion. A pair of CHUKARS were found
> huddled next to the road allowing great views without even needing bins.
The
> rain began to subside as we hit the area below the dam. A probable very
> early LARK SPARROW was seen by myself and Mike Roper. The tail was seen
well
> flying several times, a sparrow about the size of a white-crowned with a
> brown back and white spots in the corners of the rectrices. Barring a very
> abherrant white-crowned sparrow, this is the only species that fits such a
> description, but due to the early date this would pose we left it as a
> probable and not confirmed.
> Stops along the cliffs late in the day revealed a PRAIRIE FALCON calling
> from her nest, CANYON WREN singing and CLIFF SWALLOWS and WHITE-THROATED
> SWIFT flying overhead. A quick stop in the Moxee Valley on the way home
> found a GOLDEN EAGLE perched on a distant powerpole about MP 20 and the
> light morph FERRUGINOUS HAWK perched along the highway. Finally arriving
> back to Yakima about 7:30 in the evening after a long but rewarding day. A
> few misses were left out there and with better weather a list over 80
could
> have been achived easily, but we ended with 74 species.
>
> Scott Downes
>