Subject: [Tweeters] Sabine's Gulls at Priest Rapids Lake-23 May
Date: May 23 18:54:00 2008
From: Andy Stepniewski - steppie at nwinfo.net


SABINE'S GULLS ON PRIEST RAPIDS LAKE
23 MAY 2008

News of Sabine's Gulls yesterday on Sprague Lake and near Grand Coulee had
us charging out to Priest Rapids Lake mid-morning today.We were not
disappointed. On the west side of Goose Island, 150 SABINE'S GULLS, all in
adult plumage, rested on the water in a tight group. Every few minutes they
would burst into flight, fly about again in a tight flock appearing like
confetti glittering in the sky, then settle back onto the lake. Talk about a
gorgeous sight!

Large numbers of Sabine's Gulls in spring in eastern Washington is a very
rare but
not unprecedented event: "300 on 9 June1963 at Blue Lake, Grant County and
about four hours later [almost certainly the same flock] 130 kilometers to
the east at Reardan" (Birds of WA. Wahl et al. 2005). One wonders what might
prompt this normally pelagic bird (at this latitude) to migrate inland.
Presumably, the crazy weather this spring has something to do with it.

Other good birds on or by the lake included a PACIFIC LOON, and PEREGRINE
FALCON. Cliff Swallows were everywhere, most all just a foot to a few feet
above the lakes's surface, again that's where their food must be in cold
weather.

Heading to Priest Rapids Lake through the Yakima Training Center we found it
blustery and gray with rain spitting at times. Out in the shrub-steppe we
found common summer residents of the sage: Sage Thrashers, Brewer's, and
Vesper Sparrows, and lots of Western Meadowlarks. A BADGER ambled across the
road a short distance west of Taylor Pond. We saw one Black-tailed
Jackrabbit cross the road, actually our first this spring. Nearby, a
"ring-tailed" Golden Eagle perched; perhaps this bird knew jacks lurked in
the sage.

Though it was windy and cool, we found a sprinkling of migrants Taylor Pond
had N. Rough-winged, Bank and Barn Swallows skimming the pond surface,
evidently where bugs were in these adverse conditions.Greely Pond a
Long-eared Owl. Along Upper Cold Creek we found two fledged Great Horned Owl
young, an Olive-sided Flycatcher, and Townsend's and Wilson's Warblers.

Species seen:

Canada Goose - 10
Mallard - 2
Gadwall - 2
Cinnamon Teal - 1
Common Merganser - 1
Northern Harrier - 6, nest with 8 eggs at Greely Pond, another only 50 yards
away with 4 eggs!
Red-tailed Hawk - 4
Golden Eagle - 1
American Kestrel - 2
PEREGRINE FALCON - 1
Chukar - 1
California Quail - 5
PACIFIC LOON - 1
Common Loon - 5
Horned Grebe - 3
Western Grebe - 6
Am. White Pelican - 15
Great Blue Heron - 2
American Coot - 2
Killdeer - 1
Ring-billed Gull - 200
California Gull - 50
Glaucous-winged Gull - 1
SABINE'S GULL - 150
Caspian Tern - 35
Forster's Tern - 15
Mourning Dove - 6
Great Horned Owl - 3
Long-eared Owl - 1
Red-naped Sapsucker - 1, Cold Creek
Northern Flicker - 3
Olive-sided Flycatcher - 1
Hammond's Flycatcher - 3
Say's Phoebe - 4
Western Kingbird - 2
Loggerhead Shrike - 1
Horned Lark - 10
N. Rough-winged Swallow - 5
Bank Swallow - 3
Cliff Swallow - 1500
Barn Swallow - 20
Black-billed Magpie - 5
Common Raven - 10
Rock Wren - 5
Townsend's Solitaire - 2, late
American Robin - 3
Sage Thrasher - 3
European Starling -30, young fledging
Townsend's Warbler - 1
Wilson's Warbler - 5
Western Tanager - 2
Black-headed Grosbeak - 1
Lazuli Bunting - 3
Chipping Sparrow - 10
Brewer's Sparrow - 6
Vesper Sparrow - 15
Song Sparrow - 5
Red-winged Blackbird - 30
Western Meadowlark - 20
Brewer's Blackbird - 5
Bullock's Oriole - 5
House Finch - 10
American Goldfinch - 5
House Sparrow - 10

Andy and Ellen Stepniewski
Wapato WA
steppie at nwinfo.net