YAKIMA TRAINING CENTER AND PRIEST RAPIDS LAKE

30 NOVEMBER 2008

Yakkers,

Ellen, Richard Repp and I teamed up for yet another full and rewarding day
at Priest Rapids Lake along the Columbia River in eastern Yakima County. Low
cloud and fog on the way out to the lake had us worried viewing at the lake
would be a bust. We didn't need to worry as the cloud deck was at least 1000
feet above the lake. It was gray and cool but viewing conditions were pretty
good.

Numbers and diversity of waterfowl and gulls showed a seasonal decline as
expected. Still, we saw a number of "good" birds.

Our first neat sighting was on the north side of Umtanum Ridge. Just before
descending into a dense cloud layer that covered the Columbia Basin, we had
good views of 20 GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCHES. These birds were busy preening
themselves in a tall Serviceberry shrub, an unusual location for this
usually ground or cliff dwelling species. Overhead we hear a rattle call
from either a Lapland Longspur or Snow Bunting. We did not get a visual
spotting of this bird. In the fog descending the ridge, three Gray Partridge
flushed from the roadside and disappeared into the gray mist.

Before birding Priest Rapids Lake, we headed down below Priest Rapids Dam.
We noted only two species of gulls on the rocks below the dam: Ring-billed
and Glaucous-winged. In the shallow pools by the river edge were both Common
and RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS. Rich picked out a male WHITE-WINGED SCOTER
riding the current out in mid channel. We watched this sea duck surf the
roiling Columbia River for several minutes. I've never seen this species
away from placid lake waters in the interior. Perhaps it was getting
acclimated for its winter sojurn on rough coastal waters. Cool! We counted
55 Barrow's Goldeneyes in the shallows here, my highest count ever for this
area. In the scruffy shrub-steppe here I heard an unfamiliar sparrow call
note. We tracked down the bird and it proved to be a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW,
my first for the Priest Rapids area.

Heading north to the Kittitas County line, we stopped at about half-mile
intervals to scope the lake, noting thousands of waterfowl and coots. All
told we saw 16 species of waterfowl, a good number for interior Washington.
At one stop, we found another WHITE-WINGED SCOTER. Numbers of Ruddy Ducks
were clearly way up as compared to our other visits there this fall. Notable
was a complete absence of Canada Geese!

Grebes and loons again peppered the lake, though in fewer numbers and
variety as compared to a few weeks ago. An adult THAYER'S GULL swam
patiently near a Common Loon struggling to down a fish that seemed to big to
swallow. Perhaps the gull was expecting a few scraps from the loons meal,
forgetting the loon was most probably going to swallow its meal whole.

A walk up Alkali Creek past the beaver ponds to the Water Birch clump
rewarded us dearly. Ellen called out "hey look at that streaked bird next to
the goldfinches." Scoping this bird, we were pleased and excited to see it
was a male COMMON REDPOLL! I'm not sure I've seen any reports of this
species in Washington yet this fall.

Having had such great luck we decided to leave the lake and ascend Hog Ranch
Buttes, at 4,400 feet elevation, way above the fog and low cloud blanketing
the low Columbia Basin. We kept an eye out for both Gyrfalcon and Snowy Owl,
fantasy birds we realized. But, nothing ventured, nothing gained. We enjoyed
great views to the west of the Cascades and a sea of low clouds off to the
east but saw virtually no birds save a couple kestrels. Nonetheless, it was
a beautiful view, especially as the sun set behind Mt. Adams; the sky was
ablaze in mauve, orange, and gray tones.

Descending to Cold Creek Road, we flushed seven GREATER SAGE-GROUSE. I fear
this species is in steady decline on the Yakima Training Center; its numbers
have roughly halved in the past 10 years (~325 to ~175). It may not be many
years until sighting this magnificent grouse here will be a rare treat.

A Long-eared Owl at Taylor Pond just as it was getting dark was our last new
species for the day.

Another great day afield!

Species list:

Tundra Swan - heard overhead
Mallard - 25
Gadwall - 15
American Wigeon - 450
Canvasback - 5
Redhead - 10
Ring-necked Duck - 5
Greater Scaup - 10
Lesser Scaup - 60
Scaup sp. - 1500
WHITE-WINGED SCOTER -2
Common Goldeneye - 75
Barrow's Goldeneye - 55
Bufflehead - 20
Hooded Merganser - 3
Common Merganser - 5
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER - 20
Ruddy Duck - 190
Common Loon - 25
Pied-billed Grebe - 20
Horned Grebe - 65
Western Grebe - 45
American White Pelican - 4
Double-crested Cormorant - 55
Great Blue Heron - 2
Bald Eagle - 2
Northern Harrier - 2
Red-tailed Hawk - 3
Golden Eagle - 1
American Kestrel - 3
Prairie Falcon - 2
Gray Partridge - 4
Chukar - 1+, heard
GREATER SAGE-GROUSE - 7
Virginia Rail - 1
American Coot - 3500
Ring-billed Gull - 15
Herring Gull - 3
THAYER'S GULL - 1
Glaucous-winged Gull -3
Long-eared Owl - 1
Belted Kingfisher - 2
Northern Flicker - 8
Black-billed Magpie - 10
Common Raven - 12
Horned Lark - 3
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 1
Rock Wren - 3
Canyon Wren - 3
Marsh Wren - 5
American Robin - 3
European Starling - 20
Spotted Towhee - 1
Song Sparrow - 8
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW - 1
White-crowned Sparrow - 45
Dark-eyed Junco - 30
GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCH - 21
House Finch - 10
COMMON REDPOLL - 1
American Goldfinch - 45

Andy and Ellen Stepniewski
Wapato WA
steppie at nwinfo.net