Subject: [Tweeters] Early Spring Outing in Lincoln County
Date: Apr 16 01:57:40 2010
From: Gina Sheridan - gsherida8502 at yahoo.com


On Tuesday (4/12/10), Jon Isacoff and I birded Lincoln County. Although the day started off light rain showers and patchy fog, the weather improved through out the day, and there was no wind. Temps ranged from the low 40's to low 50's.

Heading up toward the now legendary Mill Canyon, I glimpsed a Prairie Falcon and we beheld the unlikely sight of a RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER on a power pole out on the treeless shrub-steppe. We found a lingering NORTHERN SHRIKE hunting near Mondovi Lake.

Some of the avian denizens of Mill Canyon that we picked up included CASSIN'S FINCH, TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, RED CROSSBILL, both RUBY-CROWNED & GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETs, WESTERN BLUEBIRD, SAY'S PHOEBE, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, all three species of Nuthatches, VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW, CLIFF SWALLOW, TREE SWALLOW, and an impressive number of SPOTTED TOWHEEs. We were pleased to find a FOY ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER flitting around a bitterbrush laden bench, and we heard several drumming RUFFED GROUSE.

Over the course of the last several years, I have been trying to upgrade my "heard only" Lincoln County Ruffed Grouse to a visual. Much to my tremendous satisfaction, we did indeed flush a reddish morph RUFFED GROUSE along the lower riparian area of the canyon.

As usual, there was a good number of waterfowl (including a pair of BARROW'S GOLDENEYE) scattered along the mouth of Mill Creek. In addition, we saw several GREATER YELLOWLEGs on the mudflats. Although we dipped on Pileated Woodpecker, we were both quite pleased with our Mill Canyon venture.

Scoping some ephemeral ponds on the east side of Hwy. 23 (south of Davenport), we picked out an EURASIAN WIGEON amongst a tight flock of AMERICAN WIGEON. Sitting on the ground in front the ponds was an unexpected adult PEREGRINE FALCON.

On Old Kuchs Road, we noted SAVANNAH SPARROW, VESPER SPARROW, AMERICAN PIPIT, HORNED LARK, and ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. The expansive vernal ponds on the west end of Old Kuchs Road, yielded GREATER YELLOWLEGS, a single LESSER YELLOWLEGS, WILSON'S SNIPE, and 74 Dunlin adorned in mixed seasonal plumages. Near Rocklyn, we saw an attractive pair of dark morph SWAINSON'S HAWKs.

Wrapping up our trip at Reardon by mid-afternoon, we added GREATER SCAUP, LESSER SCAUP, YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD, CANVASBACK, REDHEAD, RUDDY DUCK, EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE, and MARSH WREN to our tally. Our Lincoln County trip total for the day was 82 species. Thanks to Jon's number crunching, I have included the detailed species list below.

Happy Spring Birding,

Gina Sheridan
Spokane, WA


Canada Goose 30
(2) -- -- -- -- -- --
Gadwall 6
(2) -- -- -- -- -- --
Eurasian Wigeon 1
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
American Wigeon 140
(3) -- -- -- -- -- --
Mallard 80
(3) -- -- -- -- -- --
Northern Shoveler 20
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Northern Pintail 20
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Green-winged Teal 90
(3) -- -- -- -- -- --
Canvasback 4
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Redhead 6
(2) -- -- -- -- -- --
Ring-necked Duck 10
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Greater Scaup 4
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Lesser Scaup 20
(2) -- -- -- -- -- --
Bufflehead 24
(3) -- -- -- -- -- --
Common Goldeneye 10
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Barrow's Goldeneye 2
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Common Merganser 8
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Ruddy Duck 11
(2) -- -- -- -- -- --
Ruffed Grouse 3
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Wild Turkey 2
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
California Quail 2
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Northern Harrier 3
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Swainson's Hawk 2
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Red-tailed Hawk 2
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Rough-legged Hawk 2
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
American Kestrel 2
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Peregrine Falcon 1
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
American Coot 120
(2) -- -- -- -- -- --
Killdeer 20
(2) -- -- -- -- -- --
Greater Yellowlegs 17
(2) -- -- -- -- -- --
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Dunlin 74
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Wilson's Snipe 15
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Ring-billed Gull 4
(2) -- -- -- -- -- --
Rock Pigeon 10
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Eurasian Collared-Dove 1
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Mourning Dove 1
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Red-naped Sapsucker 4
(2) -- -- -- -- -- --
Downy Woodpecker 2
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Hairy Woodpecker 2
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Northern Flicker 9
(2) -- -- -- -- -- --
Say's Phoebe 3
(2) -- -- -- -- -- --
Northern Shrike 1
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Clark's Nutcracker 1
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Black-billed Magpie 2
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
American Crow 5
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Common Raven 7
(2) -- -- -- -- -- --
Horned Lark 20
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Tree Swallow 20
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Violet-green Swallow 200
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Cliff Swallow 20
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Black-capped Chickadee 2
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Mountain Chickadee 2
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Red-breasted Nuthatch 8
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Pygmy Nuthatch 3
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Bewick's Wren 2
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Marsh Wren 2
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Golden-crowned Kinglet 20
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 6
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Western Bluebird 1
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Townsend's Solitaire 3
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
American Robin 70
(2) -- -- -- -- -- --
European Starling 52
(2) -- -- -- -- -- --
American Pipit 1
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Orange-crowned Warbler 1
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Yellow-rumped Warbler 2
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Spotted Towhee 20
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Vesper Sparrow 2
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Savannah Sparrow 8
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Song Sparrow 4
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Dark-eyed Junco 50
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Red-winged Blackbird 11
(2) -- -- -- -- -- --
Western Meadowlark 22
(2) -- -- -- -- -- --
Yellow-headed Blackbird 3
(2) -- -- -- -- -- --
Brewer's Blackbird 22
(3) -- -- -- -- -- --
Cassin's Finch 4
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
House Finch 4
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
Red Crossbill 4
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
American Goldfinch 20
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --
House Sparrow 10
(1) -- -- -- -- -- --

82 Species - Reardan, Mill Canyon, SR 231 and 23, Olk Kuck's Road



Canada Goose 30

Gadwall 6

Eurasian Wigeon 1

American Wigeon 140

Mallard 80

Northern Shoveler 20

Northern Pintail 20

Greenwinged Teal 90

Canvasback 4

Redhead 6

Ringnecked Duck 10

Greater Scaup 4

Lesser Scaup 20

Bufflehead 24

Common Goldeneye 10

Barrow's Goldeneye 2

Common Merganser 8

Ruddy Duck 11

Ruffed Grouse 3

Wild Turkey 2

California Quail 2

Northern Harrier 3

Swainson's Hawk 2

Redtailed Hawk 2

Roughlegged Hawk 2

American Kestrel 2

Peregrine Falcon 1

Prairie Falcon 1 (G. Sheridan only)

American Coot 120

Killdeer 20

Greater Yellowlegs 17

Lesser Yellowlegs 1

Dunlin 74

Wilson's Snipe 15

Ringbilled Gull 4

Rock Pigeon 10

Eurasian CollaredDove 1

Mourning Dove 1

Rednaped Sapsucker 4

Downy Woodpecker 2

Hairy Woodpecker 2

Northern Flicker 9

Say's Phoebe 3

Northern Shrike 1

Clark's Nutcracker 1

Blackbilled Magpie 2

American Crow 5

Common Raven 7

Horned Lark 20

Tree Swallow 20

Violetgreen Swallow 200

Cliff Swallow 20

Blackcapped Chickadee 2

Mountain Chickadee 2

Redbreasted Nuthatch 8

Whitebreasted Nuthatch 2

Pygmy Nuthatch 3

Bewick's Wren 2

Marsh Wren 2

Goldencrowned Kinglet 20

Rubycrowned Kinglet 6

Western Bluebird 1

Townsend's Solitaire 3

American Robin 70

European Starling 52

American Pipit 1

Orangecrowned Warbler 1

Yellowrumped Warbler 2

Spotted Towhee 20

Vesper Sparrow 2

Savannah Sparrow 8

Song Sparrow 4

Darkeyed Junco 50

Redwinged Blackbird 11

Western Meadowlark 22

Yellowheaded Blackbird 3

Brewer's Blackbird 22

Cassin's Finch 4

House Finch 4

Red Crossbill 4

American Goldfinch 20

House Sparrow 10