Hotline: Lower Columbia Basin
Date: February 13, 2006
Phone: 509-627-BIRD
Compiler and Transcriber: Bill and Nancy LaFramboise, billnanl at verizon.net

BIRDS REPORTED

Golden-crowned Kinglet, displaying Western Meadowlarks
Townsend's Solitaire, Hermit Thrush
Ferruginous Hawk
Snow Geese, winter sparrows
Bohemian Waxwing, Orange-crowned Warbler
Mew Gull, Bohemian Waxwing
Blue Jay
Glaucous Gull, Tundra Swan, Greater White-fronted Geese

TRANSCRIPT

This is the Lower Columbia Basin Audubon Society Bird Alert for February 13,
2006. For questions regarding LCBAS, please leave a message.
To skip the announcement, push the star button on your phone and give your
name, phone number, date, and sightings after the tone. Please make sure to
leave the date of your sighting as the date function on the answering
machine is not working.

At the end of January Jack & Murrel Dawson reported a GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET
in their Benton City backyard, possibly the beginning of kinglet migration
through the shrub-steppe. They also had 2 territorially displaying WESTERN
MEADOWLARKS there.

On January 28, Scott Dietert reported a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE in his North
Richland yard. On the 31st he and his wife also had a HERMIT THRUSH there.

Whitcomb Island off Highway 14 in southern Benton county is hosting an
avalanche of SNOW GEESE this winter. On February 7, Nancy LaFramboise,
Marilyn Hayes, and Chris Johnson saw at least 1000 there. Howard Browers,
biologist for the refuge complex, reports a count over 3000 during an aerial
survey of the island. Whitcomb Island is also hosting a variety of
wintering SPARROWS including FOX, SAVANNAH and GOLDEN-CROWNED among the
White-crowned.

Bob and Pat Woodley observed a FERRUGINOUS HAWK along Case Road, north of
Benton City on February 5. On the 8th they had 2 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS and an
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER in their Richland yard.

Two Rivers County Park in Kennewick hosted a MEW GULL on the lawn at the top
of the lagoon as well as 2 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS on February 10 as reported by
Bill & Nancy LaFramboise.

Mike and Mary Lilga relocated the BLUE JAY that has only been sporadically
reported since November in North Richland. It was near the corner of
Newcomer and Howell Streets on February 11.

On February 12, Bill and Nancy LaFramboise located a first-year GLAUCOUS
GULL on the compost heaps along Highway 12 near the Wallula paper mill.
There were at least 50 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE along Highway 12 near
mile post 300. Fourteen TUNDRA SWAN were in the pond at the McNary NWR
Hanson Loop Boat Launch.

To report your own sightings, please give your name, phone number, date, and
sightings after the tone. Thank you.

Don't miss the LCBAS March 4 presentation of WATCHING SPARROWS at the
Battelle Auditorium. Visit our new web site at
http://lowercolumbiabasinaudubon.org/ for more information.


Bill and Nancy LaFramboise
Richland WA