Hello All,
I spent the long weekend on the east side of the Cascades. I started Friday
afternoon, arriving at Wenas Campground around 5:00pm. That evening several
others and I had a nice time owling on Dry Creek Road, where we had good
looks at Common Poorwills and heard two Flammulated Owls. The next day, I
enjoyed most of the usual Wenas birds from the banding station just upstream
from camp. I particularly enjoyed the several Veeries we were able to band.
There was also a Red-eyed Vireo singing over the station most of the
morning.
I left Wenas a little after noon and headed to Windust Park. On the way, I
saw my first (of many) Common Nighthawks of the year at the Vernita Bridge
rest area. By the time I got to Windust Park, it was very slow birding, but
I did find a Long-eared Owl chick high up in the trees.
I camped in the park and woke up before everyone else-- the key, as Windust
was extremely full this Memorial Day weekend. The birding was slow, with
only moderate numbers of Wilson's Warblers and very little else.
Discouraged, I was driving out of the park and rolling my window up when I
heard a Black-and-white Warbler song! I slammed on the breaks, got out, and
was able to track down and videotape the singing male in the treetops.
After a couple fruitless stops, I found myself at Bassett Park, where the
signature turkeys and collared-doves noted my arrival. The park was fairly
slow while I was there, but I was able to see a Swainson's Thrush, a Gray
and two Olive-sided Flycatchers, and a few other things.
Lyons Ferry was very disappointing, mostly because of the weather. The wind
had been picking up all day, and did not let up through the time I left
Monday morning. The wind was strong enough (approx. 30 mph) that my tent was
flapping like a lung in distress all night. The only somewhat notable birds
I had were a Eurasian Collared-Dove (my first in Franklin County), the only
Ruby-crowned Kinglet of the weekend, and a Yellow-breasted Chat.
I birded down to Dixie, where I enjoyed the usual swarm of hummingbirds
mid-morning. A couple Calliopes were bold enough to perch on my fingers.
The Dodd Rd-Tyson Ponds site had 1 Red-necked Phalarope, 1 Bonaparte's Gull,
and 2 Black-bellied Plovers.
Cheers,
Charlie Wright
Bonney Lake, Washington