Near sunrise on Wednesday (3/14/07), I saw a dark
morph GYRFALCON fly low across I-90 and drop below
the embankment toward Sprague Lake (Adams County).
This was the first Gyr that I have ever seen in Adams
County.

By early afternoon, I had arrived at the designated
swan site south of Satsop. However, my heart sank as I
viewed a pitifully low number of swans (less than 20)
in the grassy fields. After careful scanning, it was
obvious that the Bewick's Swan was no longer present.

After that, I drove Brady Loop for winter gulls. My
grand total gull count was one Herring and two
Ring-bills. So much for all the cool Thayer's,
Glaucous, etc. that were reported last weekend.
However, there were a couple of EURASIAN WIGEON at the
north end of Foster Road and a pair of REDHEADS in
Vance Creek County Park.

On Wednesday evening, I met with Stewart Wechsler in
Camp Long. Stewart and I were able to catch (and
release) a couple of nice size adult NORTHWESTERN
SALAMANDERs that were in a breeding pool. In the
surrounding woods, we heard a pair of BARRED OWLs and
found quite a few WESTERN RED-BACKED SALAMANDERs.

Stewart is a great information resource on native
plants and animals, and it was privilege to spend some
time with him in the field. If you get a chance to
take a nature walk with him, you will surely enjoy
seeing and learning more about some of the more
under-appreciated native critters and plants of the
Seattle area.

While Thursday was spent enjoying some relaxing time
spent with friends, I returned to Spokane on Friday
(3/16/07). In the Vantage area, birding was pretty
slow. There was precious little to see in Wanapum
State Park. Along the palisades of Huntzinger Road,
there were ROCK WREN, SAY'S PHOEBE, WESTERN
MEADOWLARK, BALD EAGLE, but I have yet to see a Chukar
here. My normally productive spot for Sage Sparrow
(near the entrance with the Yakima Training Center)
failed me this time too.

At the Frenchman Hills Pond that Doug Schonewald had
previously reported, I did see my Grant County lifer
EURASIAN WIGEONs. Two Euro Wigeon drakes were still
present there.

Gina Sheridan
Spokane, WA



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