Subject: [Tweeters] More details and photos
Date: May 17 08:59:55 2008
From: Joseph V Higbee - jvhigbee at hotmail.com


My wife and I took off Monday for the 'other side' planning to enjoy a few
days of the forecast sunshine. Monday we had some, even got a little sunburn
on my head while walking in Umtanum canyon. We could only find flycatchers,
a House Wren, Nashville Warbler and Western Tanagers there. I had hoped for
Chat and Bunting but none on the trip at all.
Next was Robinson Canyon for the evening and overnight. The sun had left us
by Tuesday morning but we had Nashville Warblers and Hammond's and Gray
Flycatchers, some Vireos which I could not pin down but think they were
Warbling Vireo. Saw a Golden Eagle at the end of the meadow on a post but
the camera wasn't up yet. No other warblers or even grosbeak or tanager. It
seems everything including the plants are about two weeks behind.
Over Umtanum Pass we had a notable lack of birds. It was very gray and not
real warm. Wenas campground was much the same except for about an hour when
the sun broke through and the birds came out. That's when the Calliope I
wrote about earlier perched on a branch near us. A Red-naped Sapsucker came
by and a White-headed Woodpecker. Bluebirds were scarce but a pretty Western
Bluebird perched and posed for a while. Mountain Chickadees were all around
and vocal and some Brown-headed Cowbirds were active. We could hear
Nashville Warbler but no other warblers. Saw one Ruby-crowned Kinglet and
several Chipping Sparrows. Lots of pretty flowers just starting to bloom.
When Wednesday didn't bring bright blue sky and sunshine, we decided to
spend the last of our lifesavings on gas and go to the coast, just in case
the weatherman had it right there.
Over White Pass it was foggy and raining almost all the way to I-5. A quick
stop at Tokeland was a bust. Midway Beach was good with the Red-necked
Phalaropes and some peeps coming quite close. The weather was still cool and
gray fog.
Thursday morning was better. The fog cleared early and it was mostly sunny,
although breezy, the rest of the day. We started with more at Midway Beach,
then out to Bottle Beach for the low high tide. Still some Red Knots, lots
of Western Sandpipers. Black-bellied Plovers still there and a Whimbrel that
may be the same bird I thought earlier to be a curlew.
Over to Westport which was slow but produced the Wandering Tattler and a
breeding plumage Pelagic Cormorant. Down to Tokeland again where I played
camera tag with the Purple Martins, they won as usual, then back to Midway
Beach where I got to see a phalarope out of the water. I got a picture of it
and shortly after it seemed all the phalaropes didn't like the cool north
wind and left. Or maybe they did like it and decided to continue that way.
It will be interesting to see if we get any more reports on them.
The photos are here: http://www.pbase.com/jvhigbee/c_current

Joseph Higbee
Spanaway, WA
Mailto: jvhigbee at hotmail.com