Hello Tweeters!

Many thanks to Randy Hill for his guidance for a wonderful birding weekend in Eastern WA.

My life list is much longer after this weekend:

Avocets - My longing to see this is much fulfilled! (Nesting just as Randy noted) on the County line ponds! What a thrill!!!! The WA Guide to Birding was a great resource...
Black-winged Stilts - w/ Avocets
Wilson's Phalaropes (guess I only had to go to the Fill!) with the Avocets...
Snowy Egrets
White Pelican
Yellow headed blackbird (many)
Teal (cinnamon?)
2 Western Kingbird
Tanager?/didn't look like a western...but???
Brown headed cowbird
Killdeer - doing their broken wing act - I think their nest was very near the deck we were on!
2 Turkey vultures on the freeway out of Cle Elum
2-3 Horned Lark (one in the refuge, one off the deck in Desert Aire)
California Quail
Magpie (many)


An amazing "private viewing" were 4-5 (4 babies and one adult) either long horned or great-horned owls in the yard of a friend! The nest was in his yard and they are daily visitors! Is there a way to tell with the babies? No ears to see, so thought they were short earred, but guess they nest on the ground? I was trying to id whether they had a more "V" shape or some way to be more sure. The eyes were very yellow w/ a center. Very tall but could not tell by the feathers and pictures. They were in a paper birch, and the nest was in a pine. (Very large).

So when I came home, I was glad to see "my" nuthatches carrying out the fecal sacs and feeding. The flickers are still in the "condo snag" too, so along with the Bewick's (and neighboring crows) it's quite successful!

Thanks again, Randy!

I ran into one couple their from Issaquah who mentioned great tours by the Columbia Wildlife Refuge and seeing the Sandhill Cranes.

Great!!

Caryn / in Bird Heaven in Wedgwood / Seattle