On Friday (4/28/06), Terry Little, Gary Kuiper,
Michael Woodruff, and I departed Spokane at 2:30 AM
and trekked out to Central Ferry Canyon in Douglas
County. Our primary objective was to observe Blue
Grouse displaying that the Dennys had witnessed on the
previous weekend.

The weather was warm, sunny, and calm. In fact, this
was the warmest day of the year thus far with high
temps in the upper 70's.

As we proceeded up the Central Ferry grade, we saw our
first LOGGER- HEAD SHRIKE and WESTERN KINGBIRD. In the
forested portion of the canyon, we quickly picked up
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER,
NASHVILLE WARBLER, WILSON'S WARBLER, HAMMOND'S
FLYCATCHER, DUSKY FLYCATCHER, SPOTTED TOWHEE, HERMIT
THRUSH, STELLER'S JAY, RED-TAILED HAWK, RED-NAPED
SAPSUCKER, HAIRY WOODPECKER, BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD,
CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD, TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, and
CHIPPING SPARROW. While RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS seemed
to be dripping from the understory, and CASSINS'
FINCHES seemed to be singing from every other treetop.

The Packwood Cemetery held a pair of WESTERN
BLUEBIRDs, and HOUSE WREN. In the sagebrush just above
the canyon we saw BREWER'S SPARROW and WESTERN
MEADOWLARK. On the heard only list, we had Cassin's
Vireo and Ring-necked Pheasant.

Unfortunately, our stake out for Blue Grouse produced
nothing to be seen our heard. Have the birds already
finished up for the season and dispersed? We worked
the canyon up and down for several hours, but only
noted a few possible grouse tracks on the dirt road.

On the lower portions of the canyon, we saw a couple
of GREAT HORNED OWLs, ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS, BELTED
KINGFISHER, and BARN SWALLOWs. Near the Brewster
Bridge, we saw several COMMON LOONs GADWALL, AMERICAN
WIGEON, and DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTs. Bridgeport Bar
had WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, OSPREY, HORNED GREBE, EARED
GREBE, BUFFLEHEAD, LESSER SCAUP, and a beaver.

In the West Unit of Foster Creek, we witnessed a
NORTHERN HARRIER flush a SORA out the cattails. The
Sora called a few times but it remained
characteristically stealthy.

In the flooded fields Just west of Mansfield, we found
a single BAIRD'S SANDPIPER and numerous AMERICAN
PIPITS. When we arrived in Mansfield, we saw plenty of
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDs, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDs,
BREWER'S BLACKBIRDs, and BH COWBIRDs around a bird
feeder.

A short visit to the Mansfield Cemetery payed off with
DARK-EYED JUNCOs, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETs, and
KILLDEER feeding on the lawn, and RUBY-CROWNED
KINGLETs singing in the trees. A male RUFOUS
HUMMINGBIRD flashed over our heads like an orange
fireball. Later, Gary and Michael furiously snapped
pictures of a WINTER WREN that was mousing around the
row of arborvitaes.

As we proceeded southward toward Whithrow , we saw a
SAGE THRASHER. In Moses Coulee, the groups' camera
lenses were focused on a cooperative SAGE SPARROW.

On Jameson Lake, we had to contend with nearly
continuous caravan of mega-RVs that kicked up massive
clouds of dust. MARSH WREN, RUDDY DUCK, GREEN-WINGED
TEAL, RUDDY DUCK, CANYON WREN (heard), were some of
the species present. In the large trees at Jack's
Resort, we saw our one and only WESTERN TANAGER.

On the St. Andrews Road, one of the wet areas had
quite a few WILSON'S SNIPE. Although Stallard Lake did
not have any shorebirds this time, we did see some
lingering NORTHERN PINTAILs.

Later in the afternoon, we stopped briefly in Sun
Lakes State Park. Our best birds here were LINCOLN'S
SPARROW and ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER. Yellow-bellied
Marmots fed on the lawn.

As we raced down to Lake Lenore, we encountered quite
a few CHUKARs. However, since there were no gulls on
the lake, we obviously did not see the Lesser-Black
backed.

East Beach on Soap Lake, contributed DUNLIN,
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, and AMERICAN AVOCET to our trip
list. After trying for my targeted Grant County Sage
Thrasher in a couple of different spots, we finally
found a pair of SAGE THRASHERs on Pinto Ridge Road
(about three miles north of Hwy 28).

Continuing eastward, we saw WHITE PELICANs on Brooks
Lake. In the waning light, our grand finale bird was
light-phased FERRUGINOUS HAWK (on Hwy 28 in Lincoln
County, about nine miles west of Odessa).
Even in the low light and highway speed, the snowy
breast of the Ferrug left no doubt as to it's
identity. We enjoyed some excellent scope views of
this magnificent bird, and felt thankful for a highly
enjoyable day.

Our combined trip list was 96 species for Douglas
County, and 108 species for the day. Michael picked up
three state lifers, Terry one state lifer (Sage
Sparrow), at least two ABA lifers for Gary (Winter
Wren and Sage Sparrow), one Grant County lifer for me
(Sage Thrasher), 13 Grant County lifers for Michael,
and plenty of Douglas County lifers for all of us.
While seeing courting Blue Grouse still remains on my
wish list, I'm glad that we ran this trip on such a
lovely spring day.

Gina Sheridan
Spokane, WA

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