Andy, Ellen,
I just wanted to let you know that I had considered taking your course, but
hesitated as I had a premonition that I might need to visit Florida again.
That is indeed what happened as I mention in my Florida slideshow letter.

So the other reason I write is that I am impressed with your list in spite
of the misses, and am also craving a fix of steppe wildlife. The lifer on
your list that has eluded me all these years is the Short Horned Lizard thus
I am considering a trip next weekend with a focus on that target, but of
course I would also want to see as many spring migrants as possible and
perhaps photograph some flowers as well as birds. If I can pull off a trip
(dependent on weather, work, etc.), could I call you call you for a few more
details of lizard locations etc.? Also I know you just did this trip but
would you have any interest in a repeat performance or visit to other steppe
locations?

Regardless I would like to get out with you sometime this spring or summer
so I will watch for upcoming trips.
Happy birding!
Bob Schmidt
Personal Email: bobs at world-wide.com
Personal Cellular Telephone: (425) 273-1579


-----Original Message-----
From: tweeters-bounces at mailman2.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman2.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Andy
Stepniewski
Sent: Saturday, April 18, 2009 9:18 PM
To: TWEETERS
Subject: [Tweeters] Vantage Loop and out to Othello-18 April

SHRUB-STEPPE CLASS - OLD VANTAGE HIGHWAY TO OTHELLO
18 APRIL 2009

Ellen and I led a class sponsored by the Eastside Audubon Society fieldtrip
to the western Columbia Basin. Our objectives were to introduce our
"students" to shrub-steppe plant and bird communities. Though spring has
been tardy in arriving, the day was lovely indeed, warm and calm, much
welcomed by all.

Our first stop was on the Old Vantage Highway east of Kittitas. Here, the
"Big Sagebrush/Bluebunch Wheatgrass" community meets the rocky, thin-soiled
"Lithosol community." With effort, we had reasonable views of Sage
Thrashers, and much better looks at Brewer's Sparrows. Mountain Bluebirds
posed beautifully by their nest boxes. Sage Sparrows were nearby but did not
pose nicely. Migrant White-crowned Sparrows and brilliantly attired
Yellow-rumped Warblers passed by overhead. Because spring has been so cold,
the shrub-steppe wildflower show was muted. Sagebrush Violets and Buttercups
were out in bloom as was Canby's Biscuitroot. The very first Hooker's
Balsamroot were just beginning to bloom.

Continuing down the Old Vantage Highway, we peered into the basalt crevices
at eye level and spotted a Great Horned Owl tucked deep in a recess. Other
neat birds here included Say's Phoebe and Rock Wrens. A handsome
Yellow-bellied Marmot clambered about the cliffs.

At the Quilomene Wildlife Area, with another bit of effort, all had great
looks at Sage Sparrow, a smartly attired denizen of the more open
shrub-steppe, "Big Sagebrush/Sandberg's Bluegrass," a habitat with less in
the way of perennial grasses than preferred by Sage Thrasher and Brewer's
Sparrows. We enjoyed good scope views of a distant Loggerhead Shrike. We
then took a jaunt up into the lithosols where Horned Larks posed and several
Short Horned Lizards scampered on the warm dirt.

Down to the Columbia River at Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park, the day
was warming nicely. Trees at the interpretive museum had a few Yellow-rumped
Warblers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets while Say's Phoebes called from distant
sagebrush. Wanapum Lake had a few Horned Grebes, Western Grebes,
Buffleheads, and a sizeable raft of Greater Scaup, and several Caspian
Terns. A Sagebrush Lizard (Sceleporus gracioosus) scampered about the
rimrock at the overlook, just a few feet from us. Females of this species
are distinctive by their orangeish heads and sides of their bodies.

South of Vantage we headed along Huntzinger Road. We watched distant
White-throated Swifts rocket by, as well Violet-green and Cliff Swallows.
The "Cliff and Talus community" at Sentinel Gap, which are usually a good
bet for Golden Eagle, Prairie Falcon, Chukar, and Rock and Canyon Wrens,
were a total bust for those species! Seldom do we strike out on all five of
these cliff and talus dwellers. Our main find here was a female Downy
Woodpecker in the tall Lombardy Poplars by the huge Granny Smith and Fuji
apple orchard. Below us, on islands in the Columbia we had good looks at
American White Pelicans. In the pool behind the dam were Common Loons and a
raft of Ruddy Ducks. Wildflowers such as Arrow-leaved Balsamroot and Showy
Phlox were out in full bloom, beautiful indeed.

Across the Columbia River south, we headed east along Crab Creek, making a
few stops to study the "Greasewood and Saltgrass" community. Songbirds were
in short supply but two Golden Eagles, both adults soared beautifully over
the open Crab Creek valley. Some of us heard a distant Canyon Wren sing its
beautiful chant from the distant cliffs flanking the magnificent Saddle
Mountains. A Porcupine sat huddled up a Russian olive tree in a dense grove
of these introduced trees. Near Smyrna, a duo of Chukars posed calmly for
five minutes or so by the roadside, acting unusually calm.

Farther on, we had distant views of a pair of Swainson's Hawks over SR-26
west of Royal City.

Our final stop was along SR-26 at the "County Line Ponds," at the
Grant/Adams County line. These saline ponds fill an alkaline depression and
were full of birds. Showy shorebirds were the star attraction here including
lots of Black-necked Stilts, American Avocets, and Dunlins wading in the
shallows. A couple of Least Sandpipers were on hand too. Waterfowl were much
fewer than usual for this trip but included some typical Columbia Basin
species: gobs of Canada Geese, Am. Green-winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal,
Redhead, and Northern Pintail. A few showy Sandhill Cranes walked about the
pastures on the south edge of these ponds, while several small flocks of
cranes, very high overhead, indeed mere specks high in the sky, migrated
north over us.

Species list. Upper case denotes species characteristic of shrub-steppe or
Columbia Basin, or, simply, "cool species" on our trip.

Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Pintail
Am. Green-winged Teal
Redhead
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Ruddy Duck
CHUKAR
Ring-necked Pheasant
California Quail
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Western Grebe
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
SWAINSON'S HAWK
Red-tailed Hawk
GOLDEN EAGLE
American Kestrel
SANDHILL CRANE
American Coot
Killdeer
BLACK-NECKED STILT
AMERICAN AVOCET
Least Sandpiper
DUNLIN
Wilson's Snipe
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull
Caspian Tern
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
GREAT HORNED OWL
WHITE-THROATED SWIFT
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
SAY'S PHOEBE
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE
BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE
Common Raven
HORNED LARK
Violet-green Swallow
N. Rough-winged Swallow
Cliff Swallow
ROCK WREN
CANYON WREN
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD
American Robin
SAGE THRASHER
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Yelow-rumped Warbler
BREWER'S SPARROW
VESPER SPARROW
SAGE SPARROW
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
WESTERN MEADOWLARK
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD
Brewer's Blackbird
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

Andy and Ellen Stepniewski
Wapato WA
steppie at nwinfo.net

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