Hello All,
Well today we joined Ginger and Rodger Shoemake, Shirley Muse , Priscilla
Dauble and Dee and George Jameson on a birding adventure to kick off the New
Years birding list for Walla Walla County. We located 60 species and some of
the birds of note were.......

Common Merganser..........430+ birds below Ice Harbor Dam
Mallard..............................10,000+ birds below Ice Harbor Dam
Barrows Goldeneye...........9 birds below Ice Harbor Dam
Peregrine Falcon.................1 bird at Hood Park
Canvasback........................230+ birds off the Walla Walla River delta
Common Loon.....................1 bird off the Walla Walla River delta
Bald Eagles...........................22 birds between the Walla Walla River
delta and Hood Park
Prairie Falcon........................2 birds along Byrnes Rd.
Rough-legged Hawk.............2 birds-one black morph along Byrnes Rd.

Note of dismay: What a horrible way to start off the new year, but the
entire wild area around the ponds at Hood Park in northwestern Walla Walla
County has been demolished and stripped bare to the ground by the U.S.Army
Corps of Engineers in the on going struggle between reality and good biology
on the ground and internal policy. The Corps has decided that all Russian
olive must be taken out and they have chosen to obliterate all plants, trees
and winter thermal cover during a prolonged cold spell here. This was prime
winter thermal cover and many native protected bird species depended on this
area for survival. Will they never learn?
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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