Birded Vantage Hwy. and Vantage this morning. Most of the usual suspects including large groups of Scaup (couple of groups in excess of 150), but couldn't pull a Tufted Duck out of them. I did manage to find 2 PACIFIC LOON, birds that have been at same locations all winter. One has near the I-90 bridge about mid channel and the other was directly below Wanapum Dam. An above normal number of BARROW'S GOLDENEYE below the dam, had 34 in all. Eagles were out in force along the river, 8 bald's and 1 immature GOLDEN EAGLE. There was 1 EARED GREBE near the I-90 bridge.

Stops along the Vantage Hwy. and below Wanapum Dam near the John Wayne trailhead produced a total of 12 singing male SAGE SPARROW. Almost a first for the season, did have my first of the season yesterday afternoon on the east end of Saddle Mt. near Othello. They seem to be coming earlier each year, 5-7 years ago it seems we would have thought Feb. 13/14 was early, now it seems many of them are back on territory.

Also had 8 CHUKAR, 2 CANYON WREN and 2 ROCK WREN below Wanapum. Notables misses for the day included no Say's Phoebe, should be back by now in some areas near the river and no Mountain Bluebirds or Northern Shrike.

A good day.

Scott Downes
downess at charter.net
Yakima WA