This evening I enjoyed a few hours out at Liberty Lake county park. Bird activity was good with lots moving around. I walked up the Watershed Trail a bit, but didn't go too far since I was being eaten by mosquitoes. Most of the bird activity was by the campground and the boardwalk. I started at 5pm and ended at about 7pm. Here's what I saw or heard:

5:00pm Watershed trailhead area - Many small flocks of Red Crossbills flying over, heard American Goldfinch and Pine Siskin, Cedar Waxwings were busy flycatching along with several all so quiet flycatcher spp.,

5:15pm further up the trail - more Red Crossbills overhead, one Warbling Vireo doing a Bewick's Wren call imitation, 2 Gray Catbirds, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, and 4 Turkey Vultures soaring above an eastern ridge.

5:45pm coming back to trailhead - 1 Mountain Chickadee, 5 Black-capped Chickadees, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 2 White-breasted Nuthatches, 1 Red-naped Sapsucker, more Red Crossbills, 1 Black-headed Grosbeak, 2 Common Yellowthroat, and 3 Song Sparrows.

At the parking lot for the trailhead, there were about 15 American Robins flying around.

On the road back to the boardwalk area from the campground - 3 Warbling Vireos, 2 Gray Catbirds, 1 female Bullock's Oriole, 15 California Quail, 1 Northern Flicker, 1 Pine Siskin.

6:30pm Boardwalk and surrounding area - Marsh Wren (begging juvie), Virginia Rail (heard only), Gray Catbird, more Cedar Waxwings, more Red Crossbills, many American Robins flying around, 1 heard Mourning Dove, 1 Common Yellowthroat, 2 American Goldfinch, 20 or so Barn Swallows, and 2 Red-winged Blackbirds.

On the way back home, on the Liberty Lake Golf Course near a water feature, I counted 110 Ring-billed Gulls with more constantly flying in.

Good birding!

Tim O'Brien
Liberty Lake, WA
mailto: kertim7179 AT yahoo dot com