This afternoon, I followed up on Jon Isacoff's shorebird report from the ponds south of Sprague and at Sheep Lake. I found mainly the same assortment that he did with a few exceptions. My nemesis bird, Stilt Sandpiper, is still eluding me! One day...here's the details of what I found near Sprague:

Highway 23 ponds just north of the Whitman county line (Lincoln county):

Killdeer 1
Greater Yellowlegs 12
Lesser Yellowlegs 10
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Baird's Sandpiper 1
Pectoral Sandpiper 1
Wilson's Phalarope 24
Red-necked Phalarope 2

Sheep Lake (Whitman County):

American White Pelican 19
Great Blue Heron 1
Killdeer 2
Spotted Sandpiper 2
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER 2
Western Sandpiper 3
Baird's Sandpiper 7
California Gull 1

The coolest part about my visit at Sheep Lake was that while I parked down the dirt road a motorcycle pulled off at the highway turnoff and the rider was sporting a Star Wars Clone Trooper helmet! Not sure if it was legal, but the next vehicle I saw heading that way was a WDFW wildlife agent truck. Probably not a coincidence!

This evening near sunset I was watching the kids play in the neighborhood (near Cheney - Spokane county) and had my eyes on the sky. It is amazing what one can see if you just simply put some time in even in your own neighborhood. Here's the list:

Mallard 1
duck sp. - several pairs flying by in the distance
Red-tailed Hawk 1
PEREGRINE FALCON 3 (I watched one scorching the sky heading southwest and then two more suddenly came in to join the first - all 3 disappeared behind some houses in a possible strike)
Long-billed Dowitcher 1 (heard it "Keek" and then saw it fly over)
Gull sp. - about 40 flew over pretty high, most likely R-B
Common Nighthawk 1 (heard only)
Black-chinned Hummingbird 1 (coming to our feeder)

And the ever present blackbirds which are forming huge flocks now. I am seeing mainly Red-winged with a scattered few Yellow-headed still around.

Get out there!

Tim O'Brien
Cheney, WA
mailto: kertim7179 at yahoo dot com