Hello all,
Yesterday we headed east from Walla Walla and checked Dayton and Pomeroy
feeders - many Cassin's Finches have moved in during the last week - where
they have been absent all winter. (60+ in Dayton and 50+ at one feeder in
Pomeroy) White-crowned Sparrows and Goldfinches were also abundant. There
was a Turkey Vulture low over the fields just before Pomeroy in Garfield
County for our most unusual bird.
We headed up into the Blues from Pomeroy and made it up to Clearwater Fire
Lookout at 5637 ft. - normally this would be snow-covered until at least
June. We hiked in several places on the School Fire through snow squalls -
most of the big trees have been logged out and many snags have been cut and
left to rot. There were very few birds up there. Could not find any
woodpeckers on the 40 road so took the 4022 into Columbia county and found a
few flickers, hairies, one Williamson's Sapsucker and one Pileated
Woodpecker. There were a few Mountain Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches
and kinglets and that was it.
Came back via Linville Ridge Road to the Tucannon River rd. where we saw 5
Western Kingbirds and heard one Nashville Warbler.
Later, Mike

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Mike & MerryLynn Denny
1354 S. E. Central Ave.
College Place, WA 99324
509.529.0080 (h)

IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN BIRDING, YOU HAVEN'T LIVED!
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