Subject: [Tweeters] Toppenish CBC Common Grackle,
Date: Dec 21 10:16:34 2009
From: Andy Stepniewski - steppie at nwinfo.net


Yakkers and Tweeters,

On yesterdays Toppenish NWR CBC, passerines were definitely the hot birds
as fog all day made waterfowl and raptor viewing difficult but we managed to
spot a nice selection of dickeybirds. The best bird was a male Common
Grackle, part of a commuting blackbird flock, that landed for two minutes
(at 3 pm) atop a cottonwood at the corner of Curlew and Blue Heron Roads
northeast of Toppenish. Other species not seen annually on this CBC included
one Harris's Sparrow and three Am. Tree Sparrows. Uncommon sparrows included
Lincoln's and Savannah Sparrows. Also noted on Toppenish was a Loggerhead
Shrike (photos) and Rock Wren.

Yakima Valley CBC on the 19th added to the sparrow tally with one
White-throated to make it 11 species of sparrows for the Yakima Valley CBCs
this year, plus one form (Slate-colored Junco). Anna's Hummers were
noteworthy, too.

Eurasian Collared-Doves were tallied in the largest numbers ever for the
CBCs here, with at least 70 noted on the two counts.

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA
windypointandy at dishmail.net