Hello All,
Yesterday Phil Bartley, MerryLynn and I attempted an April Franklin Co. Big
Day. However the weather was less than helpful with constant rain and
towards noon high winds hit. We enjoyed ourselves despite the thrashing by
the rain and wind. Highlights of the day were.......

Sandhill Cranes..........500+ west of Mesa
Great Egrets.................8 birds at Ring Gold and four pair nesting on
an island south of Ring Gold on an island in the Columbia River. This was an
unknown nesting location to us.
Osprey.........................5 birds along the Columbia River.
Caspian Terns..............2 at the dog pound ponds in Pasco and one way out
over the ag fields at the north end of Taylor Flats Rd.
Townsend's Solitaire......1 along Dent Rd.
Greater Yellowlegs........2 at Cheawana Park along the Columbia River.
Long-billed Curlew.........13 in one field near Ring Gold.
Cinnamon Teal.................5 birds at different stock ponds and on Mesa
Lake.
American White Pelican.....2 birds, one at Ring Gold and one on Mesa Lake.

We ended up with 65 species for our attempt. We started at 7:30 A.M. and
ended the day at 2:00P.M. due to high winds. We traveled 78 miles.

Birds we located in Walla Walla Co. after the big day.

Black-necked Stilt......6 birds at the Tyson/Iowa Beef Ponds
Am. Avocets................2 birds at the Iowa beef ponds.
Dunlin...........................150+ at the Millet Field on McNary NWR.
Barn, Cliff, Tree and N.Rough-winged Swallows............over the McNary NWR
HQ display Pond.

We enjoyed the day!
Later Mike

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Mike & MerryLynn Denny
1354 S. E. Central Ave.
College Place, WA 99324
509.529.0080 (h)

IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN BIRDING, YOU HAVEN'T LIVED!
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