After Theresa Mathis described to me a couple sites
that have hosted Tree Sparrows in the past, I decided
to try find my county lifer in both Whitman & Lincoln
counties today (3/13/06). In addition, I wanted to see
the Greater Scaup on West Medical that the Corders had
found.

Harold & Karen Cottet, Joyce Alonso, and birded from
Medical Lake out to Tokio, and then across northern
Whitman County. The weather was sunny but chilly
(mid-20s to mid-40s).

After braving a stiff breeze in subfreezing temps at
West Medical Lake, we managed to see CANVASBACK,
RING-NECKED DUCK, REDHEAD, COMMON GOLDENEYE, COMMON
MERGANSER, GREAT BLUE HERON, KILLDEER, BALD EAGLE, RED
CROSSBILL, PYGMY NUTHATCH, AMERICAN COOT, LESSER
SCAUP, and several GREATER SCAUP. Our first (of five)
NORTHERN SHRIKE of the day was just south of Medical
Lake.

Although we didn't find any Sandhill Cranes on
Drumheller Road, we did see a nice first year GOLDEN
EAGLE, GRAY PARTRIDGE, and a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK in
Lincoln County. On Moos Road past Waukon, we worked
the copse of aspen and willow and turned up a single
AMERICAN TREE SPARROW. This is the site where Theresa
Mathis had previously seen tree sparrows a couple of
months ago.

Farther south on Waukon, we stopped to view a
Red-tailed Hawk nest in some roadside cottonwoods, and
saw four more AMERICAN TREE SPARROWs. It was certainly
nice to finally add this specie to my Lincoln County
life list.

On the southern fishing access (Adams Co.) of Sprague
Lake, we saw several cooperative AMERICAN TREE
SPARROWs near the boat ramp. NORTHERN HARRIERS, BALD
EAGLE, AMERICAN CROW, and ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK were
nearby.

On the Lincoln County side of Sprague Lake, there was
a flotilla of COMMON MERGANSERs, DOUBLE-CRESTED
CORMORANT, and a single drake GREATER SCAUP. We saw a
BARN OWL near Sprague.

In Whitman County, we encountered over a dozen
CACKLING GEESE, CANADA GEESE, NO. PINTAILS, C.
GOLDENEY, GADWALL, AME. WIGEON, and MALLARDs. There
were quite a few GREAT HORNED OWLs and RED-TAILED
HAWKs on their nests today. We saw one BARN OWL at
Revere and plenty of RING-NECKED PHEASANTS en route.

On Hardy Road (north of Lamont) we had great views of
a couple of AMERICAN TREE SPARROWs. This is the same
location that Theresa Mathis had reported them, and it
was a Whitman County lifer for me. We ended up seeing
tree sparrows in three different counties today.

Although the west of Texas Lake held plenty of water,
there were only some wigeon, goldeneye, and mallards.
In a cattle lot west of Ewan, we stopped to view a
flock of fifty RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDs. Within this
flock was a TRICOLORED BLACKBIRD. Since this bird was
in Whitman County, this was a exciting find for me.

Mammalwise, there was a plethora of Mule Deer at
Medical Lake, a porcupine near Texas Lake,
White-tailed Deer, muskrat, and plenty of sun bathing
Yellow-bellied Marmots. There was plenty of variety
in both fur and feathers today.


Gina Sheridan
Spokane, WA

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