I checked a few areas in SW Spokane County and NW Whitman County on
Wednesday afternoon (7/11/07) in very hot temperatures. I hadn't checked
Philleo Lake since the end of May, so it was interesting to see how things
had changed. 30 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were spread over the lake, along
with numerous BLACK TERNS (including juvies), EARED GREBES, and most
expected species. AMERICAN COOTS ruled with a good 600 birds. The best
birds of the day though were 2 CLARK'S GREBES on the southwest end of the
lake, swimming around and even calling. This represents my first sighting
at this location. Clark's Grebe is always a tough bird in the county, aside
from the regular spring resident at West Medical Lake.

I worked south, checking Williams and Badger Lakes for Caspian Terns,
without luck. The Least Flycatcher west of Rock Lake (found by Tom & Diane
Weber) wasn't calling or responding, so maybe it decided to move on. Sheep
Lake had some decent mud but no shorebirds. And the Sprague STP in Lincoln
County were also pretty dead aside from 2 juvenile BONAPARTE'S GULLS
(reported earlier by Mike Denny). The eastern pond was just about dried up,
so the good numbers of shorebirds early this week had moved on.

Of some interest, I was out running near my house this morning and came
across 2 RUFFED GROUSE and 4 WILD TURKEYS.

That's about it. Stay cool!

Michael Woodruff
Spokane, WA

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