Tweeters,

We saw a BLACK-HEADED Gull on the booms at Electric City, a small gull
sporting a reddish bill and red legs. Ellen obtained identifiable photos and
we'll send these on to the WRBC. According to Birds of Washington (2005),
this would be a 1st for eastern Washington, the prior 16 Washington records
all coming from western Washington.

A short distance away behind Grand Coulee Dam were two Thayer's Gulls among
20 Herring.

Earlier, we saw all three WA mergansers near Steamboat Rock (15
Red-breasted, 35 Hooded, and 100 Commons).

In the morning on Priest Rapids Lake just north of the dam (Grant Cty. side)
were 4 Long-tailed Ducks. Just below Wanapum Dam in the fast waters was a
Pacific Loon (also Grant Cty.).

We decided to leave the Columbia River as fog enveloped the river
(temperature 15-20 degrees) while the surrounding uplands were clear. We
headed north along the Coulee Lakes ending at Grand Coulee Dam.

Andy and Ellen Stepniewski
Wapato WA
steppie at nwinfo.net