On Saturday (5/6/06), the Spokane Audubon Spring Field
Trip consisted of Craig Corder (leader), Kim Thorburn,
and myself. At 5:15 AM, things were rather slow in
Indian Canyon Park, but we did note Calliope
Hummingbird, House Wren, Mt. Chickadee, White-crowned
Sparrow, California Quail, and Orange-crowned Warbler.

At Reardan, there were Eared & Horned & Pied-billed
Grebes, Canvasback, Redhead, Gadwall, Cinnamon Teal,
Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Duck, Marsh Wren, Virginia Rail
(heard only), and six flyover Black-necked Stilts.
Water level was high did not offer much in the way of
shorebird edges.

Upon arrival in Davenport, we saw a EURASIAN COLLARED
DOVE by the grain towers. In fact, there have been
several Euro Doves present all year.

In the Davenport Cemetery, the birds were popping! A
sizeable flock of ground feeding White-crowned
Sparrows had two GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWs, a LINCOLN'S
SPARROW, juncos, Spotted Towhee, HERMIT THRUSH mixed
in with them. TOWNSEND'S WARBLERs, NASHVILLE WARBLERs,
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERs, DUSKY & GRAY FLYCATCHERs,
both kinglets, BROWN CREEPER, WARBLING VIREO,
TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, and numerous Yellow-rumped
Warblers flitted in the trees. As a bonus, a beautiful
MYRTLE raced Warbler graced the gounds too.

South of Davenport, we found some good birds on Old
Kuchs Road. WILSON'S PHALAROPEs, SORA (great views),
AMERICAN PIPIT, and WILSON'S SNIPE, were in the
ephemeral pools. A LONG-BILLED CURLEW flew across the
road.

However, the best of the lot, was an adult SNOWY OWL
perched on a outcrop on the south side of the road.
This is undoubtedly the same snowy that Mark Houston
reported seeing a few days earlier. It is
extraordinary that we should still be seeing snowy
owls in May!

The cottonwood lined Seaton Canyon (Lincoln County)
held MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER, WESTERN TANAGER -2,
WARBLING VIREO, WILSON'S WARBLER, and DUSKY
FLYCATCHER. This is a nice spot that offers some
potential for traveling birders to Grand Coulee.

Just north of the Grand Coulee City Park (Grant
County), we saw a GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, and several
CASSIN'S FINCHes. Two of the Cassins' Finches were
singing (adult male and a female type).

When we reached the first stand of conifers in
Northrup Canyon, we saw several VAUX'S SWIFTs flying
low through the trees. Down the trail, we had very
nice views of a quiet CASSIN'S VIREO. Meanwhile,
WHITE-THROATED SWIFTs, BALD EAGLE -2, and a GOLDEN
EAGLE wielded overhead. Both kinglets and Red-breasted
Nuthatches were along the trail.

Since a quick stop in Steamboat Rock State Park did
not produce any migrants, we continued southward.
Along Dry Falls Dam, there was a COMMON LOON, CLARK'S
GREBE, WESTERN GREBE, GREATER SCAUP, Northern
Shoveler, DC Cormorants, and Bufflehead. Another
CLARK'S GREBEs was on Osborne Bay.

Just several miles west of Dry Falls Junction (Douglas
County), Kim spotted a woodpecker perched on a power
pole. When we hopped out of the rig, we were rewarded
with terrific views of a strawberry-breasted LEWIS'S
WOODPECKER!

A mid-day drive down Rimrock Drive looked wonderful
for Chukar, but we did not see any. We did see a ROCK
WREN and heard Canyon Wrens. Near the Douglas/Grant
County line, we encountered some MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDs on
Sagebrush Flats. As we drove back east toward Soap
Lake, we saw BREWER'S SPARROW, SAGE THRASHER, VESPER
SPARROW, LARK SPARROW, and SWAINSON'S HAWK.

The afternoon glare reflected off Soap Lake initially
caused me to mis-identify two different shorebirds.
However, Craig's scope set things to right. In fact,
there were a LEAST SANDPIPER, BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, and a
SPOTTED SANDPIPER.

Our trip tally of the day was 124 species, (125 if you
count Kim's Peregrine Falcon after the trip broke up).
The wonderful weather and company made for great day
of spring birding.

On Sunday (5/7/06), Michael Woodruff and I left very
early for an attempt at Short-eared Owl in Grant
County. Although we dipped on SEOW, we did see two
GREAT HORNED OWLS right on the county line. One was
sitting on a pole Grant County and the other in
Lincoln County.

In Hartline, we found some migrant fall out. There
were a noticeable number of Orange-crowned Warblers,
Nashville Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and
WILSON'S WARBLERs. In addition, Several WESTERN
TANAGERs added color to trees. A furtive HERMIT THRUSH
hopped around a neighborhood backyard. Ring-necked
Pheasants were uncommonly vocal near the train tracks.

In the hills immediately north of Hartline, we had
marvelous views of two singing GRASSHOPPER SPARROWs.
Near Grand Coulee, we saw both Brewer's Sparrows and
Vesper Sparrows. The wetlands immediately south of Dry
Falls Dam had BLACK-NECKED STILTS AMERICAN AVOCETs,
American Pipits, Cinnamon Teal, Cliff Swallow,
Northern Rough-winged Swallow, and Yellow-headed
Blackbirds.

Sun Lakes was quite active with Marsh Wren, DUSKY
FLYCATCHER, Orange-crowned Warbler, Nashville Warbler,
Yellow-rumped Warblers, Wilson's Warbler, Rock Wren,
Canyon Wren, Downy Woodpecker, Violet-green & Tree
Swallow, White-throated Swifts, Golden Eagle, CASPIAN
TERN, LINCOLN'S SPARROW, and plenty more Western
Tanagers. Alkali Lake hosted a Ring-necked Ducks,
RED-NECKED GREBE on the south end, and a BULLOCK'S
ORIOLE in the willows.

On Lake Lenore, there were several pairs of BARROW'S
GOLDENEYEs and a sizeable number of standard-issue
gulls (Ring-billed & California), but we did not see
any rarities (i.e. Lesser-blacked). As only a
chickenis apt to do, we did see a CHUKAR cross the
road.

Although we briefly heard a Virginia Rail at Gloyd
Seeps, we essentially dipped on rail spots in Grant
County. However, we did see a pair of WOOD DUCKs at
Cascade Park in Moses Lake.

For the record, Perch Point and Lind Coulee have water
levels high enough to resemble the eastern seaboard
after the polar ice caps have melted. Needless to say,
we did not see shorebirds, but there were a couple of
GREAT EGRETs.

Despite a fairly strong wind, Potholes State Park was
pleasingly loaded with migrants. We easily found
HERMIT THRUSH - 2, GRAY FLYCATCHER, DUSKY FLYCATCHER,
HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER, WINTER WREN, TOWNSEND'S
SOLITAIRE, TOWNSEND'S WARBLERs, Orange-crowned
Warblers (one with orange crowned well displayed),
Nashville Warblers, Wilson's Warblers, House Wren,
Bewick's Wren, Osprey, Bullock's Orioles, Western
Kingbird, and Western Tanagers. In addition, we
observed a nice looking intergrade MyrtlexAudubon's
Warbler

Birders Corner yielded Cinnamon Teal, Blue-winged
Teal, Redhead, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, and over a
dozen BLACK-NECKED STILTs. In the late afternoon, we
arrived at a good site for sage species in Adams
County, but the wind was howling, and the birds were
sensibly quiet.

Although we were planning on birding Davenport
Cemetery on our return, a phone call from the Corders
changed that plan. Since the Corders had found a
White-faced Ibis and a Semipalmated plover in Spokane
County, we altered our plans and made a beeline back
to the Four Lakes/Cheney area.

Just as we pulled onto the Jensen Road spot, Terry
Little was directly our attention to a skulking ibis
in the tall grass. Suddenly the WHITE-FACED IBIS flew
out and gave us nice views of the chestnut colored
body, strongly decurved bill, and white facial border.
The ibis caught a tailwind and continued flying
northward. Meanwhile, several WILSON'S PHALAROPES
twirled in the nearby pond.

On our last birding stop of the day, Michael and I
enjoyed views of LESSER YELLOWLEGS-4, LEAST SANDPIPER
-3, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER - 2, American Pipits. While
Grant County certainly dazzled us with wonderful avian
variety, we had an exciting grand finale in Spokane
County.

As a weekend tally, I picked up eight county lifers in
Grant County, one county lifer in Lincoln's County,
one county lifer for Douglas County, and one county
lifer (White-faced Ibis) in Spokane County. Our trip
total for Saturday was 125 species and 115 for Sunday.
It was a great way to spend the weekend!

Gina Sheridan
Spokane, WA

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