Hello all,
MerryLynn and I joined John Gatchet from Greshman, OR this last Saturday to
find 100 birds in Whitman county for John. We were successful and had a
wonderful day of birding. Here are the highlights:
Steptoe Butte:
Black-throated Sparrow - nice views of this unusual bird
Clay-colored Sparrow - great looks also
Brewer's Sparrow - we counted 28 birds including a nest with young.
Grasshopper Sparrow - 1 bird on upper slope
Gray Catbird - 3 birds
Bullock's Oriole - at least 2 pair with young
Vesper Sparrow - all over upper slopes
Northern Harrier - circling the butte
Rock Wren - 5 birds
Canyon Wren - 1 bird right at the top
Red Crossbill - 19 birds landed on top
Pine Siskin - 2 flyovers
Bewick's Wren - 2 birds singing
Cedar Waxwing - 4 birds
Eastern Kingbird - 5 birds
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 1 bird
Calliope Hummingbird - 1 female
Common Yellowthroat - 1 male in ditch at junction of road up to the butte.
and lots of Lazuli Buntings, Spotted Towhees, Chipping Sparrows, etc.

Kamiak Butte:
At the picnic shelter above the parking lot - birds coming to water in 1
hour:
Am. Goldfinch
Pine Siskin
Black-headed Grosbeak - 1 female and 2 males
Dark-eyed Junco - 1 male
Chipping Sparrow - several
Spotted Towhee - 4 birds
MacGillivray's Warbler - 1 male
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 5 - 6 birds
Yellow Warbler - 1 male
Am. Robin - several - took over and bathed
Veery - 1 at water and another singing to the east
Pygmy Nuthatch - several most of the time
White-breasted Nuthatch - 1
Warbling Vireo - 1
Western Flycatcher - 1 - very persistent about getting water!
Western Wood Pewee - a pair nesting above the water.
N. Flicker - 2 birds
Calliope Hummingbird - 2 females
Black-chinned Hummingbird - 1 female - these hummers loved the water!

In park but not at the water:
Cassin's Finch - 2 heard
Nashville Warbler - 1 bright male
Swainson's Thrush - several singing
Cassin's Vireo - 2 heard
Red Crossbill - lots.
signs of woodpeckers but couldn't find any.

Rock Lake:
Caspian Tern - 3 birds
Turkey Vulture - 3 birds

Sheep Lake was empty of birds - lots of cows on south end.
Texas Lake:
Great Blue Heron - 1
Killdeer - 2
Wilson's Phalarope - 1

LaCrosse:
Burrowing Owl - 2 families
Grasshopper Sparrow - 1 on fence at old racetrack.
Long-billed Curlew - John heard 1 to the west.

Kamiak Butte county park is a wonderful place to spend a hot afternoon.

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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