Hey Tweets,
we did a marathon weekend, and chased all over eastern WA, with mixed success.
Myself, Bob , Poppe, Tina, and Jeff departed Renton at 7:00 saturday AM for Grand Coulee, where we dipped on the Ross's Gull. NO small gulls were present at all. gorgeous weather, though!
We then drove down to Walla Walla to chase Boreal Owl with Mike Denny (the original plan). Started up the mountain at about 10:00PM, birded hard until about 2:00 AM under perfect owling conditions. Calm, clear, cold, crunchy snow underfoot. All we stirred up was the coyotes. BEAUTIFUL night, though! No owls heard.
To bed at 3:00 AM, and back up at about 8:30 to start the trip home. Yawn!
We birded the Walla Walla Delta on the way. Among the Ring-billed gulls were about 18 Bonaparte's and 1 Frankilin's Gull. If the Ross's was there, we could not ID it from that distance.
More Bonaparte's and a large flock of Tundra swans at the Burbank Sloughs. Among the many ducks was a Eurasian/American Wigeon hybrid. Intersting bird ...
At Sentinel Gap was a LARGE flock of White Pelicans, and another 4-6 Bonaparte's Gulls.
Along Huntzinger Road was some gathering duck flocks: Lesser Scaup (probably 1000 already), Redhead, Ring-neck Duck, Horned Grebe, A Wigeon, etc. We called in 3 Rock Wrens at the large cliffs below Wanapum Dam.
Got home by 8:00 PM sunday. I am headin for bed .....

It was a good weekend, even if we did miss our target birds! Good Times, Good Company!

Special Thanks to Mike and Merrylynn Denny for fabulous hospitality, and birding above and beyond the call!!

Guy McWethy
Renton, WA
mailto: lguy_mcw at yahoo.com