Hello Birders,

We just arrived home from a great 4 day trip to eastern Washington with a great time locating many migrant passerines and other birds. The trip was a combined dragonfly/birding trip so we managed to do well with both activities. The weather during the 4 days remained very HOT with thunderstorms at times and a severe wind/thunder storm encountered on the evening of the August 31st at Washtucna. Our trip began on the 30th at Horn Rapids Park along the Yakima River in Benton Co.,where we successfully located a dragonfly we had been searching for. This dragonfly species is called a OLIVE CLUBTAIL and we were able to locate 3 specimens,which was a new dragonfly species for us both! Another dragonfly species encountered at this location was 3 WHITE-BELTED RINGTAILS,which are found here and nowhere else in Washington! During the remainder of the trip we located several other dragonfly species to add to our trip list too. Good numbers of butterflies were also observed at Horn Rapids Park including good numbers of Monarchs. From Horn Rapids Park we traveled northeast straight to Washtucna,where we spent the greatest deal of time searching for migrants.

We visited various locations in the Washtucna area from on the 31st of August to the 2nd of September including the town of Hooper and Lyons Ferry and Palouse Falls State Parks. All these locations experienced different diversity of migrants during each visit,but each of these places hosted something interesting. During our morning visit to Palouse Falls State Park on the 1st a park ranger was surveying the remnants of the severe wind storm from the previous evening. There were good amounts of downed trees and tree limbs at this small park,but park workers soon cleared the debris by the following day.

During our searches for migrants in the Washtucna area it seemed that some areas held more concentrations of birds than others,but overall most species were in light numbers. Our largest concentrations of a single species went to Chipping Sparrow,where our largest numbers were tallied in the Hooper area on the 1st. We began along the old Hwy.26 Rd. leading into Hooper after crossing the Palouse River from the direction of Washtucna. Here, on the Whitman Co. side of the Palouse River we birded a small riparian area near an abandoned homestead and located our first small numbers of Chipping Sparrows. A further walk of the area produced greater numbers of Chipping Sparrows until the birds all flew to the road and join another flock that included a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW. At this location we estimated 100+ Chipping Sparrows that mostly consisted of juvenile birds and most of the birds joined a large flock and eventually flew south along a gravel road leading to the south. As we continued our way to the town of Hooper we experienced more Chipping Sparrows including a large flock of 250+ birds at the park area in Hooper. Most of the birds were very active and eventually gathered and moved to the southeast across a dirt road into a large,open cow field. An additional scattered flock of 150+ Chipping Sparrows was noted along the Hooper Junction Rd. after crossing the Palouse River in Adams Co.,where these birds all flew down along a line of trees before fling off into open fields. It was definitely a large movement of Chipping Sparrows in the Hooper area,which we did not experience at other locations! It was something we have not experienced ever before in Washington,so to us it was something worthwhile during the fall migration. Away from Chipping Sparrows other passerine numbers were in far less numbers with Wilson's Warblers the only other species in fairly good numbers at all locations.

Our best of 2 main highlights during the 4 day trip occurred during our drive home today(September 2nd)at Wanapum State Park near Vantage at 3pm. As we crossed the I-90 bridge heading westbound we noticed a few small terns flying along the south side of bridge. We soon drove south along Huntzinger Rd. to a high vantage point overlooking the Columbia River just north of Wanapum State Park. We thoroughly scoped the open water under good lighting conditions,where we located good numbers of Common Terns and 3+ Forster's Terns. After a few minutes of scoping an adult LONG-TAILED JAEGER was spotted,as it flew over Wanapum S.P. from the Columbia River and continued over land flying westward. This distinctive bird showed a classic long tail that swayed in the wind as it flew along with a dark back and upperwings with lighters areas on the underparts. Although the sighting was brief the bird was seen well and was a totally unexpected species that we had not anticipated. We estimated approximately 125+ Common Terns that stretched from the I-90 bridge to Wanapum State Park with 2 separate flocks of 40 birds with scattered individuals elsewhere. 2 Clark's Grebes,18 Western Grebes, 2 Common Loons in breeding plumage and 1 adult Herring Gull were also noted from our vantage point along Huntzinger Rd. north of Wanapum State Park.

Our second best bird of the trip was a BROAD-WINGED HAWK observed soaring over Washtucna on the 1st of September at 3pm,while searching for migrants at Bassett Park. This bird was photographed at a far distant,as it gained elevation before drifting southward with 2 larger Red-tailed Hawks nearby.

A list of additional highlights encountered at selected locations include the following:


Sentinel Bluff,Grant Co. August 30th

1 Eastern Kingbird
1 Red-breasted Nuthatch
2 Gray Catbirds
3 MacGillivray's Warblers


Horn Rapids Park,Benton Co. August 30th and 31st

4 Great Egrets
1 Bewick's Wren
1 Vesper Sparrow


Bassett Park at Washtucna,Adams Co.

1 Osprey (August 31st)
1 adult Cooper's Hawk (August 30th-September 1st)
1 BROAD-WINGED HAWK (September 1st)
10 Wild Turkeys
7 Eurasian Collared Doves
3 Common Nighthawks (August 31st)
15 Vaux's Swifts(observed flying overhead on the morning of September 1st)
1 Belted Kingfisher (September 2nd)
1 LEWIS' WOODPECKER(August 30th and September 2nd)
2 Downy Woodpeckers (August 31st)
2 Olive-sided Flycatchers (August 31st-September 1st)
1 LEAST FLYCATCHER (August 30th-September 1st)
3 Hammond's Flycatchers
5-6 Dusky Flycatchers
1-2 Gray Flycatchers
2-3 Pacific-slope"Western"Flycatchers
1 Violet-green Swallow (September 1st)
2 Red-breasted Nuthatches on the 30th of August to the 1st of September with a maximum of 5 birds noted on the 2nd of September
1 Canyon Wren on the 2nd of September
1-2 Bewick's Wrens
5 House Wrens
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet (September 1st)
3 Townsend's Solitaires (September 1st)
2 Hermit Thrushes (September 1st)
1 Gray Catbird (August 30th)
2 Cassin's Vireos (September 1st)
1 Red-eyed Vireo (August 31st-September 2nd)
3 Orange-crowned Warblers
2 Townsend's Warblers (September 1st)
2-3 MacGillivray's Warblers
6+ Western Tanagers
1 Lazuli Bunting (August 31st-September 1st)
2-3 Spotted Towhees
4 Chipping Sparrows (August 31st-September 1st)
4 Savannah Sparrows (September 2nd)
1-2 Fox Sparrows (September 1st)
1 Lincoln's Sparrow on the 30th of August with a maximum of 6 birds on the 1st and 2nd of September
6 White-crowned Sparrows
1 "Oregon"Junco (September 2nd)
1 Pine Siskin on the 1st of September with a maximum of 5 birds on he 2nd of September


Lyons Ferry State Park, Franklin Co.

1 immature Black-crowned Night Heron (September 1st)
1 Blue-winged Teal(observed flying low over the Palouse River with 14 Northern Shovelers on he 2nd of September)
3 Ruddy Ducks (September 2nd)
4 Osprey (September 1st and 2nd)
12 Wild Turkey (September 1st)
1 Virginia Rail(heard calling from the marshy area along the edges of the "island")
1 Spotted Sandpiper
3 Barn Owls
1 Great Horned Owl (September 2nd)
1 Common Nighthawk (September 1st)
3 Vaux's Swifts (September 2nd)
3 Willow Flycatchers (September 2nd)
1 LEAST FLYCATCHER (September 1st)
3 Dusky Flycatchers (September 1st)
1 Gray Flycatcher (September 1st)
1 Violet-green Swallow (September 2nd)
1 Bank Swallow (September 2nd)
1 Bewick's Wren
2 House Wrens
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet (September 1st)
2 Orange-crowned Warblers
1 Nashville Warbler (September 1st)
1 Townsend's Warbler (September 1st)
1 female AM.REDSTART (September 2nd)
2-3 MacGillivray's Warblers
1 COMMON YELLOWTHROAT (September 2nd)
5 Western Tanagers (September 1st)
2 Lincoln's Sparrows
6 White-crowned Sparrows


Palouse Falls State Park, Franklin Co.

1 Olive-sided Flycatcher (September 1st)
2 Dusky Flycatchers (September 1st)
1 Red-breasted Nuthatch (September 1st)
2 House Wrens (September 1st)
1 Hermit Thrush (September 1st)
1 MacGillivray's Warbler (September 2nd)
1 Fox Sparrow (September 1st)

Hooper area, Adams and/or Whitman Cos. September 1st

1 Belted Kingfisher
1 LEAST FLYCATCHER (observed in the park area at the town of Hooper in Whitman Co.)
2 Dusky Flycatchers
1 Gray Flycatcher
1 Eastern Kingbird
2 Red-breasted Nuthatches
2 Bewick's Wrens (observed together along the Palouse River in Whitman Co.)
3 Western Tanagers
500+ Chipping Sparrows
1 CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
3 Lincoln's Sparrows
10 White-crowned Sparrows


A list of other notable species encountered from a few other locations during our trip included the following:

1 Swainson's Hawk along Hwy.26 east of Royal City,Grant Co. on the 30th of August with 2 additional birds observed along Hwy. 26 east of Othello,AD on the 30th of August

5 Lesser Yellowlegs observed in a flooded field along Hwy.17 south of Othello,AD on the 31st of August

1 Solitary Sandpiper observed along Hwy.26 immediately east of Lower Crab Creek in Adams Co. on the 2nd of September

1 Semipalmated Sandpiper, 13 Western Sandpipers, and 2 Baird's Sandpiper along Hwy. 26 at the County Line Ponds,Grant Co. on the 2nd of September

1 Western Kingbird observed along Hwy.26 west of Hatton,AD on the 30th of August with 2 additional birds noted further west along Hwy.26 east of Othello.

1 Loggerhead Shrike observed along Hwy. 260 east of McAdam,Franklin Co. on the 2nd of September

10 Chipping Sparrows and 1 Lark Sparrow observed on the 1st of September along S.R. 261 at Sperry,Franklin Co.




Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Fircrest,WA
godwit513 at msn.com