With the many reports of Sabine's Gulls last couple of days, I had an itch to check out Vantage today to see if that area contained so of the Sabine's bounty that other areas of the Basin and Columbia River had been blessed with. First stop was at Ginkgo overlook where there were quite a few migrants, the majority being Wilson's Warbler (10+) and Warbling Vireo (10+). Also present were 1 Hammond's Flycatcher, Black-headed Grosbeak, 1 female MacGillvaries Warbler and the usual assortment of Kingbirds, Pewees and Orioles.
At Wanapum St Park I checked the day use area as the campground was crawling with weekend campers and didn't look too enticing for birds. Here again Warbling Vireo and Wilson's Warbler comprised the majority of the birds. Smaller numbers of Yellow Warblers, 2 Western Tanager, 1 each of Dusky and Hammond's Flycatcher, and a single Cassin's Vireo.
Below Wanapum Dam the river acted like class five rapids (not joking, swells of the raging water was 5-10 feet!), so not much in the way of bird life until you got down the river a mile or so. The islands were mostly flooded, with only a little shoreline present. I managed to find 2 SABINE'S Gull amongst the hordes of Caspian Tern (15+), Forester's Tern (25+) and California Gull (30+). There was also a first year Glacous-winged Gull present, the majority of birds were just north of the railroad tracks..
A quick stop near the John Wayne trailhead produced a signing male BLACK-THROATED SPARROW (first of the year), the bird was out in the flat, about 250 meters from the road.

I wanted to follow up on Andy and Ellen's Sabine's report near Priest Rapids from yesterday. A quick stop in Desert Aire produced a Eurasian Collared Dove perched on the wire near the Mini-Mart just off the highway. While the view from Prist Rapids Dam is distant when looking at Goose Island, I could pick out about a dozen American White Pelican, 25+ Forester's Tern, 15+ Caspian Tern and at least 50 SABINE'S GULL (Andy reported 150 yesterday, there could have been more present, but hard to tell until birds took flight and I counted about 50 when in the air).

A really nice day to be out.

Scott Downes
downess at charter.net
Yakima WA