Subject: [Tweeters] Birding Trip Report: Yakima County,
Date: Mar 19 23:59:23 2006
From: kdturley at bentonrea.com - kdturley at bentonrea.com


This report was mailed for Kerry Turley by http://birdnotes.net



Date: March 19, 2006

Location: Yakima County, Washington



Low temperature: 40 degrees fahrenheit High temperature: 59 degrees fahrenheit

Wind direction: Variable

Prevailing wind speed: 1-5 km/h

Percentage of sky covered by clouds: 10%



Spent a beautiful last day of winter birding the lower Yakima Valley

in and around the Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge. Best birds were

the two singing Sage Sparrows along Pumphouse Rd., one Redhead at the

refuge headquarters pond and the 100+ Tundra Swans, 17 at the TNWR

and the rest at Lateral "A" Rd. and Marion Drain Rd. where I also saw

my first Tree Swallows of the year.



Birds seen (in taxonomic order):



Canada Goose

Tundra Swan [1]

Gadwall

American Wigeon

Mallard

Northern Shoveler

Northern Pintail

Green-Winged Teal

Redhead [2]

Ring-necked Duck

Common Merganser

Ring-necked Pheasant

California Quail

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle [3]

Northern Harrier

Sharp-shinned Hawk [4]

Red-tailed Hawk

American Kestrel

Killdeer

Rock Dove

Mourning Dove

Barn Owl [5]

Great Horned Owl [6]

Belted Kingfisher

Northern Flicker

Loggerhead Shrike [7]

Black-billed Magpie

American Crow

Common Raven

Tree Swallow

Black-capped Chickadee

Bewick's Wren

Marsh Wren

American Robin

European Starling

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Sage Sparrow [8]

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-winged Blackbird

Western Meadowlark

Brewer's Blackbird

House Finch

American Goldfinch

House Sparrow



Footnotes:



[1] 17 at TNWR 100+ at Lateral "A" RD.

[2] TNWR HQ pond

[3] 3 - Adults

[4] Granger/Outlook farm Pond

[5] 2 - in drain pipes along Marion Drain

[6] TNWR HQ

[7] Pumphouse Rd.

[8] at - Pumphouse Rd.



Total number of species seen: 47