On Tuesday (4/18/06), Justyn Stahl and I took
advantage of a great spring day and drove down as far
as the Oregon border (Asotin County). Although it was
below freezing in the morning, it warmed up to near 60
during the afternoon.

On the lower end of Steptoe Canyon and along the river
road toward Clarkston, we encountered plenty of
conspicuous CHUKARs. As we scanned the Snake River, we
picked out WESTERN GREBEs and NORTHERN SHOVELERS on
the Asotin County side.

After checking out some WOOD DUCKs and BEWICK'S WRENs
in Asotin Slough, we climbed up the grade toward
Anatone. With the attendant gain in elevation, we
noticed that there was an increasing amount of snow on
the ground. In fact, there was at least five inches of
slushy snow in Fields Springs State Park.

While we birded around the park, we noted Mt.
Chickadee, both Red-breasted & White-breasted
Nuthatches, both kinglets, Steller's Jays, Wild
Turkeys, and flickers. Meanwhile, Columbian Ground
Squirrels frolicked in the snow.

Near the restroom, we were excited to find a pair of
WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKERs. This lovely species was one
of our primary target birds of the day.

At the top of the grade that drops into the Grand
Ronde River, we had a very cooperative RUFFED GROUSE
(Justyn's most wanted bird of the trip). The Grand
Ronde River road offered lovely scenery, but no
Lewis's Woodpeckers or anything extraordinary.

At the Cottonwood Creek Fish Hatchery, a BALD EAGLE
and a GREAT BLUE HERON helped themselves to easy
pickings. A couple of COMMON MERGANSERS cruised along
the river.

On Meyer Ridge, we saw plenty of WESTERN BLUEBIRDs,
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDs and a RING-NECKED PHEASANT. On the
return trip along the Snake River in Whitman County,
we had a quick view of a PRAIRIE FALCON flash across
the river.

On Jordan Knott road, a couple of AMERICAN AVOCETs
were on a lakeshore. In the cottonwood grove on George
Knot Road, we saw our third GREAT HORNED OWL nest of
the day. Several SWAINSON'S HAWKs were near Endicott,
and a pair of GRAY PARTRIDGEs in the Escure Ranch gave
Justyn his fourth ABA lifer of the day.

Even though we dipped on Short-eared Owls, we had some
poor views of pair of LONG-EARED OWLs that were along
Rock Creek. Since it was already pretty dark, we had
trouble seeing much with only my flashlight.

However, I had a nice personal finale to our trip.
Roosting in the same copse of trees that harbored the
LE Owls, was a WILD TURKEY! Since there aren't that
many trees near Revere, this was a pleasant surprise
and a Whitman County lifer to boot.

Gina Sheridan
Spokane, WA

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