Hi everyone,



Sharon Cormier-Aagaard and I did a quick morning trip to Cle Elum and the (upper) Yakima River put-in location accessed off Golf Course Road this morning and saw some very nice birds.? We spent most of the time birding along the access road to the Cle Elum railroad ponds along the Yakima River, then did a short stop at the put-in location on the way back.? We used mostly a 'sit-and-wait' approach in the area along the ponds that we birded - portable chairs and waiting for the birds to show themselves - and this method worked quite well.?



Highlights from the railroad ponds included a heavy dose of the cute factor, with multiple broods of ducklings from several species, including:



COMMON GOLDENEYE with 5 young, image at: http://www.tubbsphoto.com/-/tubbsphoto/detail.asp?photoID=8487115&cat=38974 .

COMMON MERGANSER with 4 young, image at: http://www.tubbsphoto.com/-/tubbsphoto/detail.asp?photoID=8487117&cat=38974 .



There was also a single female BARROW'S GOLDENEYE on the main pond, with no young.



The brushy area near the hatchery turnoff road has proven reliable in the past for VEERY and GRAY CATBIRD, both of which we saw today.? The Veery was vocalizing frequently and was visible on several occasions without using any recordings.? There were at least three and possibly as many as six Gray Catbirds in the shrubs, occasionally perching out briefly in the open and flying between locations.?



Warblers were well-represented also:



YELLOW WARBLER - multiple birds singing and visible.

YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER

MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER - the first image I've ever managed of this bird, at: http://www.tubbsphoto.com/-/tubbsphoto/detail.asp?photoID=8487120&cat=38991 .

NASHVILLE WARBLER - singing fairly regularly, with a pair showing themselves on several occasions for good (though brief) looks.

YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT - one extremely vocal bird was quite close to our location but buried behind brush and never made itself visible.?



In addition to the usual suspects, we also had:

WESTERN BLUEBIRD with a female entering a nest tree.

PYGMY NUTHATCH - Multiple birds around and entering/leaving a nest hole in a snag tree.? Two images at:

http://www.tubbsphoto.com/-/tubbsphoto/detail.asp?photoID=8487119&cat=38988

http://www.tubbsphoto.com/-/tubbsphoto/detail.asp?photoID=8487118&cat=38988

BULLOCK'S ORIOLE



The decision to stop at the Yakima River access location off Golf Course Road on the way back was a good one.? We had two good birds there:

AMERICAN REDSTART - singing loudly and frequently quite near to the boat launch point.? This bird was a young male - a "Yellowstart" that eventually gave us good looks both in-flight and while singing.

DUSKY FLYCATCHER - good looks and vocalizing.



John Tubbs

Snoqualmie, WA

johntubbs at comcast.net

www.tubbsphoto.com




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