Tweeters,

Alan Lincoln and I finally got over to Central Washington for a little
birding last weekend, and I can attest that it?s much better late than
never. We saw a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE at Birder?s Corner and let the
Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Yellow-rumped Warblers choose our campsite at
Potholes State Park. A possible SAGE THRASHER caught my attention at
CNWR on the 0?Sullivan Dam and Alan saw a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON as
we drove across. During the night at Potholes SP, we were lulled to
sleep by the sweet sound of SANDHILL CRANES migrating through. In the
morning, 2 VARIED THRUSH visited us briefly in our camp, and we enjoyed
PECTORAL SANDPIPERS and BAIRD?S SANDPIPERS, along with Western and Least
Sandpipers at the boat launch. We?d been lucky enough to come across
Doug and Barbara Schonewald as we birded, and Doug positively I.D.?d a
SABINE?S GULL from Alan?s spot at Lind Coulee.

We checked out Hooper?s Junction at midday (good, but our first time at
a poor time of day), so we didn?t get down to Bassett Park until 1:30
p.m. Because it was such a poor time of day, we weren?t really planning
to stop, just to check the location. However, before I could walk up
behind a big sign to make sure it said Bassett Park, I began to see
flycatchers. Within the first 30 minutes, we had:
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Western Wood-Pewee
a pair Wilson?s Warbler
several Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Dusky Flycatcher
Hermit Thrush
3+ Townsend?s Solitaire
Lincoln Sparrow
and the possible female MacGillivray?s Warbler or Nashville Warbler that
Alan saw.
Amazing!

All for now,
Patricia S. Lott
Seattle, WA
mail to: VariedThrush at comcast.net