Sorry for the late report. I've been away from the computer for a few days.



On our way to Yakima on the late afternoon of September 28, my wife, Wendy,
and I went for a hike for about a mile up Umtanum Canyon. One of the first
birds we saw in a loose flock of about sixty White-Crowned Sparrows was a
juvenile Swamp Sparrow. It was feeding on the ground with White-Crowned
Sparrows about fifteen feet from us just before the trail passes under the
railroad bridge. We could not relocate it on our return trip.



As we returned in the gathering dusk, Wendy shouted at me as I was about to
step on a juvenile rattlesnake. It slithered into the trailside brush. A few
feet farther down the trail, as I was thinking I'd like to see another
snake, I looked down and saw a motionless ~22cm long Ring-Necked Snake. As I
reached for it, it coiled its tail exposing the bright orange underside.
This is my first experience with this species. Have other Tweeters seen this
snake in Washington?



Umtanum Creek has always been a magical place for us!



On Friday, we traveled to Pullman to visit our kids by way of Bassett Park
in Washtucna and again today, Sunday. Nothing unusual, but today's
kingfisher perched on the rimrock seemed a bit out of place. At County Line
Ponds, we saw three Avocets, a few ducks and Canada Geese.



Dave Parent, Freeland, WA