Tweets - the trip I led yesterday in Kittitas County was quite successful,
despite overcast conditions and strong winds.

We started the day at the river's edge at the Golf Course Rd. off I-90 west
of Cle Elum, where an AMERICAN DIPPER was singing.

Along Charter Rd. in Cle Elum, we had at least one PYGMY NUTHATCH, a couple
of TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES, and several VARIED THRUSHES.

A homeowner on Grant Ave. in South Cle Elum invited us into his backyard
where we watched EVENING GROSBEAKS, and spent a long time viewing CASSIN'S
FINCH amongst the PINE SISKINS and AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES.

McDonald Pond, off Lower Peoh Point Rd. near Cle Elum, hosted a CINNAMON
TEAL drake, amongst seven other species of duck.

At the Elk Heights burn, it took some searching, but we found a beautiful
male BLACK-BACKED WOODPECER along with several HAIRY WOODPECKERS.

Just east of mp 94 on SR-10, east of Cle Elum, is a nice cliff where I
hoped we'd find Canyon or Rock Wrens. No luck with the wrens, but there was
a perched PRAIRIE FALCON and lots of wash. Possible nest site?

Off a new road that heads south from Robinson Canyon Rd., due south of the
town of Thorpe, we had three LONG-BILLED CURLEW. With all of the houses
being built on what was agricultural land in Kittitas County, these will
certainly become harder to find in future years.

Durr Rd., off Umptanum Rd., south of Ellensburg, featured cooperative VESPER
SPARROWS and BREWER'S SPARROWS, along with MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS.

>From Tjossem Rd., between Ellensburg and Kittitas (but south of I-90), we
watched a SWAINSON'S HAWK playing in the wind.

Huntzinger Rd., south of Vantage, provided a slew of singing ROCK WRENS and
several SAY'S PHOEBE. At the end of Recreation Drive, that goes down to the
water immediately north of the Ginko Visitor Center in Vantage, we had two
WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS. There was a wide variety of plumages of HORNED
GREBE, from seemingly untouched non-breeding plumage through full breeding
plumage, among the individual grebes between Wanapum Dam and Ginko.

The lower Quillomene access off Old Vantage Highway was incredibly windy.
Still, we trudged through sage for quite a while, hearing BREWER'S SPARROWS.
Then, amazingly, a SAGE SPARROW found an exposed perch in the lee of a large
sage, and sat singing for a full two minutes. Almost everyone in the group
was able to see it. We walked a little further up the road and were treated
to a couple of HORNED LARK flying around in the wind.

The ponds on Parke Creek Rd., east of Kittitas, had several YELLOW-HEADED
BLACKBIRD, TREE SWALLOWS, and a WILSON'S SNIPE. Belatedly, I should mention
that last Tuesday, I had two LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS there.

At the house about a block west of Park Creek Rd. on Vantage Highway, we had
a GREAT HORNED OWL still sitting in the nest.

Our last stop was the Swauk Prairie area, where we had many WESTERN
BLUEBIRDS, and a very cooperative MERLIN, who let us get quite close as it
sat perched on fenceposts.

For the day, 86 species. Our only big miss was Sage Thrasher, but with the
winds we had, it wasn't a surprise that we missed some sage species.

== Michael Hobbs
== Kirkland, WA
== http://www.marymoor.org/birding.htm
== birdmarymoor at verizon.net