Alan Richards and I left College Place Jan. 2, 2006 on our way to Lower Granite Dam. Just east of Dayton in the Junipers planted along the highway we found a Townsend's Solitaire. Central Ferry was not too active, but did find a Barrow's Goldeneye mixed in with the Common Goldeneye. Below Lower Granite Dam was a Bewick's Wren with Canyon Wrens close by in rocks next to the water (Snake River). At Lower Granite Dam there were fewer gulls than the other three dams which we had just visited the day before, but one of the gulls was a 1'st year Western Gull. This is a first for Garfield County and very rare the farther east one goes. The dam crossing was closed so we retraced our steps to Central Ferry and north to Colfax and then on to Sprague Lake. Lots of (Lesser) Canada Geese on the ice. Could not make any into Cackling. We did find the spot where the Adams Snowy Owl was seen and it didn't look good, when Alan spotted a flash of white (the owls face when it turned its head) quite a ways out in the sage. This was my second Adams Co. Snowy as the first one was east of Hwy 17 near a sprinkler riser (head) trying to keep out of the wind on Dec. 27, 1993.

We could not find the Eurasian Collared-Doves in Moses Lake and it was almost dark when we tried to find Snowy Owls west of Hwy 17 south of Moses Lake. Lots of white things were taking our time while we checked anything that might have been a Snowy. We left Moses Lake a 5 pm and headed south to Tricities and then west on Hwy 14.

We had a super long weekend with many good birds, both new county birds and year birds. And many thanks to Mike and MerryLynn Denny for their help and hospitality and knowing where the Lesser Black-backed Gull is always hanging out!

Ken

Ken Knittle
Washington Birder
2604 NE 80th Street
Vancouver, WA 986665
360.574.2590
mail to: washingtonbirder at hotmail.com<mailto:washingtonbirder at hotmail.com>