Today, I visited Sprague Lake and then headed northeast to Reardon. Both boat launches on Sprague Lake were hopping with birds this morning. Best birds of the day included a CLARK'S GREBE viewed from the Lincoln county side of Sprague Lake (at the boat launch) and an AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER at Reardon on the easternmost rocky island in Audubon Lake.

I hit the Lincoln county boat launch on Sprague Lake first today. Immediately, as I got out of the truck I knew I would be here for awhile because their were birds everywhere. Lots of migrating passerines were busy in the lakeside shrubs and trees. Scoping the lake yielded the Clark's Grebe in amongst a group of seven Western Grebes. I could not find the Sabine's Gull, but I did not scope the gulls on the far side of the lake. In the trees and shrubs, I found Red-breasted Nuthatch, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Marsh Wren, Gray Catbird, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Wilson's Warbler, Lincoln's Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, and one fly-over American Pipit and Pine Siskin.

At the Adams County boat launch, American Pipits were quite obvious as they were working the areas along the paved path. Out on the lake amidst the hordes of American Coot and Ruddy Duck, there were a few arrivals that I noted including one Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, a single Canvasback, and Bufflehead. A lone Turkey Vulture teetered on the winds here as well.

The Sprague Cemetery was a bit slow, but I did find a Sharp-shinned Hawk that may have been the cause of the lack of birds. In the older part of the cemetery, I did find a Hermit Thrush that was skulking in the dense brush. Also, both Kinglets were here as well and one Eurasian Collared Dove.

At Audubon Lake in Reardon, I found a smallish, slender plover with a small bill and a bright supercillium that turned out to be an American Golden-Plover. It was hanging out on the easternmost rock island viewed from the south blind. Also, in the water were more Lesser Scaup and at least seven Canvasback. The path out to the blind was busy with sparrows of which I picked out several Savannah and White-crowned Sparrows. This may be a good place for other sparrows as we get closer to Fall.

Good birding!

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