Subject: [Tweeters] Weekend trip report - Benton County and more (long)
Date: Apr 12 19:02:55 2010
From: Tim O'Brien - kertim7179 at yahoo.com


Hi all,

This weekend I had the chance to explore a good portion of Benton County. On Saturday, April 10, I started the day off with a walk on Bateman Island. There was frost on the ground, but at least the wind wasn't blowing yet. I was impressed by the island and the surrounding waters. Tons of birds everywhere!

In the waters on the Yakima River Delta side, there was a small group of WESTERN GREBES. I checked them out and just as the ABA Guide to Washington suggested, I found a single CLARK's GREBE in pretty close range. Not too difficult to see that the eye was in the white portion of the cheek and that the bill was almost orange. This group of grebes almost swam over to the Franklin County side of the river, but alas they stopped too short. There wasn't much exposed mud on the delta, but where there was mud or shallow water several AMERICAN AVOCETS (six total) and BLACK-NECKED STILTS (twelve total) were working the area. A few loud CASPIAN TERNS were about with the usual gulls. Out near the northern tip of the island, a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK appeared to be hunting the small birds that were about. The islands trees were full of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS.

I then visited a few other riverside parks including Columbia Point and Leslie Groves Park with more waterfowl and gulls seen. I then headed two the Twin Bridges and Snively Roads area in search of cranes. The recent reports did not fail and I found 25 SANDHILL CRANES along Snively Road.

Next I headed south, while on I-82 just before making the descent down to Plymouth, I had a flyover LONG-BILLED CURLEW which was nice. At Plymouth Park, I found my one and only SWAINSON'S HAWK of the weeekend. A single OSPREY was here too along with a EURASIAN X AMERICAN WIGEON hybrid.

The Paterson Unit of the Umatilla NWR was worth the bumpy drive out to it. On a mud flat with some small rock islands just off the flat, I found a nice assemblage of birds. These included six AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS, sixteen CASPIAN TERNS, four AMERICAN AVOCETS, two DUNLIN, one WILSON'S SNIPE, and two VIRGINIA RAILS (responded to Ipod). In one of the sloughs, I added a single female HOODED MERGANSER, RUDDY DUCK, CANVASBACK, and other more common ducks.

Whitcomb Island was spectacular and didn't disappoint! I stopped along the causeway to check out the birds on the sloughs and found 3 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE on the east slough with some more WHITE PELICANS. Two BLACK-NECKED STILTS were here also. Small birds were in the brush along the road and I was surprised by a very reddish tailed bird that flew away from me and then lit on the groud - it was a HERMIT THRUSH. Also, in the brush were two GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS. On the island in the fields on the west end was a big flock of mostly CACKLING GEESE (guestimate 500), CANADA GEESE, 7 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, and 14 SNOW GEESE. The goose flock lifted off all at once while I was watching and the culprit was a slowly gliding PEREGRINE FALCON that lit on the ground. The cliffs up above the highway have a lot of white-wash and I was suspecting a falcon appearance, but this one came from the river side. A few swallows were flying around the
island too and I was able to spot TREE SWALLOW and a single BANK SWALLOW.

The wind was blowing pretty good all this day which affected my end of the day birding. I tried the Rattlesnake Mountain roads anyways and only managed to find 3 CHUKARS on Crosby Road. On the way down along Case Road, I did find a single LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE being buffeted by the wind. Heading back to Benton City along Old Inland Empire Highway, I spotted two GREAT-HORNED OWLS in the cliffs.

Sunday, April 11, I tried to beat the wind this time and made my way up Rattlesnake Mountain again. The morning was the trick as I found some of my targets. Near the top of Crosby Road, I found another CHUKAR in the road. I began to hear singing VESPER SPARROWS in different spots and luckily I heard a coarse song out there and found a lone SAGE SPARROW. Case Road had singing Vespers all over in the sage lined areas. Back down in the orchards, I had to make a quick stop for a very pale dove and gladly it was my only EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE of the trip.

I then decided to start heading back home so I went east and birded Sacajawea State Park and the Walla Walla River delta area. Lots of birds, but nothing earth-shattering. The Dodd Road blood ponds had 20 DUNLIN.

Into Columbia County, I stopped at Lewis & Clark Trail State Park and found the two WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS with much looking. Here, I also found a lone TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE near the creek.

At the mouth of Deadman Creek in Garfield County, a lone CASPIAN TERN was working the large pond here. Ducks here included AMERICAN WIGEON, MALLARD, LESSER SCAUP, COMMON GOLDENEYE, BUFFLEHEAD, and in the non-duck category, six HORNED GREBES. Shorebirds included KILLDEER and the previously reported GREATER YELLOWLEGS.

By this time, it was time to head north and home. I will send out county lists of birds seen to the respective compilers. Benton County was previously at a zero for me and the day and half of birding there put me at 82 species. Not too bad! Thank you to everyone that has been posting their birds seen either here or on LC Birds.

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