Managed a surprising amount of birding yesterday evening and this morning on
a family camping trip while my wife entertained my daughter.

Yesterday afternoon about 4:00 we stopped at Sentinel Bluffs with
Yellow-rumped Warblers everywhere. The best bird by far was as the title
indicates was a female BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER observed off and on for 5
minutes while it moved high in the cottonwoods. I'm not sure on the age of
the bird. The distinguishing characteristics included yellowish/buffy below,
a strong-grayish blue coloration above, dark auriculars, curving distinct
supercilium and a well developed white patch at the base of the primaries.
This is only the second female I've seen, from what I've read first fall
birds usually lack a well developed white patch at the base of the
primaries.

At Wanapum Dam state park there were good numbers of birds both yesterday
evening and first thing this morning. Yesterday evening on the river were 2
COMMON TERN flying up river.
Among the notables this morning were:
5 Western Tanager
1 Least Flycatcher
1 Townsend's Warbler
3 Chipping Sparrow
MANY kinglets, 25+ of both Ruby and Golden-crowned
A nice surprise also included a Winter Wren lighting on the tent just 3 feet
from my head as we packing up this morning. A nice close up view of a wren
for my daughter who actually noticed the bird land right above her head (a
11 month old birder in the making...)

Just after dawn this morning a flyover of a calling SOLITARY SANDPIPER on
the river.

Ginkgo overlook this morning included many more Juncos included a
Slate-colored Junco, several kinglets of both species and 20+ Chukars
walking in the parking lot on the west side of the grass.

A good movement of birds.

Scott Downes
downess at charter.net
Yakima WA