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WOS 14 April 2010 Kittitas County trip



We got an early start at 5:30 AM from Issaquah. While making a rest stop at Snoqualmie Pass we had very nice looks at a male RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD at a feeder at the end of the Traveler's Rest building. Some EVENING GROSBEAKS flew over and a couple of AMERICAN CROWS were in the area. It was notable that the Band-tailed Pigeons usually on the trees across the road were not present that morning. As it was 32 F we were all glad to get back in the cars and continue on our way.



The snow level is down quite a bit so our next stop was at the Stampeded Pass exit. We spent a little time looking for woodpeckers and saw PILEATED and DOWNY WOODPECKERS. We also saw TREE and VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWs overhead, SONG SPARROW, PINE SISKIN, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, AMERICAN ROBIN and VARIED THRUSH.



As we headed down the eastern slope of the Cascades we had a COMMON RAVEN fly over the cars. We made a stop at the WA DOT gravel piles at Easton. There was a large (about 30+) flock of RED CROSSBILLS moving thru the trees. A group of EVENING GROSBEAKs was working one of the small gravel piles over. A couple of ROCK PIGEONs were perched on the door to the barn, and a EUROPEAN STARLING was on the roof of the building. A PURPLE FINCH was in a tree.



We pulled off at Golf Course Road and took the frontage road down to the end by the bridge. As we got out of the cars an AMERICAN DIPPER was working over the Yakima River. It conveniently flew a couple of times, ducked into the river and the settle down for us to look at. A second Dipper flew in and the first one flew downriver to the bank, but we could not find a nest. A couple of NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWs flew over. PINE SISKINs were working the edge of the road under the railroad bridge. We drove slowly thru the subdivision and picked up BREWER'S BLACKBIRD, BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD, HOUSE FINCH, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH, AMERICAN ROBIN, DARK-EYED JUNCO, more TREE and VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWs, and STELLER'S JAY.



We returned to the freeway and crossed under and turned left on Hundley Road. Just before the turn in to the WDFW access point at the end of the road we stopped and scanned the pond finding several WOOD DUCKs. Along the road down into the access we picked up SPOTTED TOWHEE, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, SONG SPARROW, DOWNY WOODPECKER (two more down in the parking area), HAIRY WOODPECKER, RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER, BLACK-CAPPED and CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEEs, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, BROWN CREEPER, and BALD EAGLE.



After a restroom stop coming into Cle Elum we turned on the road to the Cle Elum Railroad ponds. Immediately we picked up two TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIREs. A pair of HOODED MERGANSERs was in the close pond. Further up the road we found BUFFLEHEAD, BARROW'S GOLDENEYE, MALLARDs, COMMON GOLDENEYE, COMMON MERGANSER, GADWALL, and BELTED KINGFISHER. One of the resident OSPREYs flew over (there was one on the nest as we drove by on I-90. A PILEATED WOODPECKER was waaaaay out in the distance. A pair of WESTERN BLUEBIRDs worked along the road. A PYGMY NUTHATCH was in an old snag.



We made a stop at the Cle Elum Bakery. While there we got very nice looks at a perched TREE SWALLOW and a couple of HOUSE SPARROWs that are making a home under the bakery overhang. From Cle Elum we went down to SR10 and stopped near the bridge over the Teanaway River. The resident AMERICAN DIPPER obligingly worked the river in front of us and even sang a bit. Across the road in the pond/marsh there were about 35 RING-NECKED DUCKs, a single AMERICAN COOT, and then a surprising SORA at the back of the pond. The RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDs were singing.



We turned at Taylor Road and drove up to a high spot. We pulled in PYGMY NUTHATCHes, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEEs, MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE, a NORTHERN FLICKER flew by and a pair of CASSIN'S FINCHES posed for us. Across the river at one of the cliff faces we could barely make out swallows - much too distant to i.d. even in the spotting scopes. We returned to SR10 and continued down the canyon. At mile post 94 we pulled over and scanned the cliff face. A pair of AMERICAN KESTRELs (and a third one) harassed a RED-TAILED HAWK. There was a very brief look by one of our people at what might have been a Prairie Falcon, but not long enough to confirm. Still more TREE and VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWs worked the cliffs and were joined by some CLIFF SWALLOWs. A BALD EAGLE flew over. Several WILD TURKEYs flew across the river. Heading further down the river we saw our first BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE. Just past the junction of SR10 and US 97 the road turns to go to I-90. In a large Black Cottonwood tree we saw a GREAT HORNED OWL with a young owlet in the nest.



It was now 1215 and we had barely made it to Ellensburg - remember we had left at 5:30. We took the Canyon Road turnoff and went to Umtanum Rd and stopped at the City park by the Yakima River for lunch. Once we got to Easton the weather turned sunny and warm with no wind. After lunch we made a quick stop at the Bar20 pond just by I-90 where we picked up RUDDY DUCK and KILLDEER. We went south on Canyon Road to Ringer Loop. There was a CANADA GOOSE on an Osprey platform and we saw a BARN SWALLOW. We returned to I-90 heading east toward Kittitas. Just at the off-ramp we saw several raptors in the field to the north. We had 2 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKs, 2 RED-TAILED HAWKs and a NORTHERN HARRIER.



We went thru town and saw several MOURNING DOVEs, and out to Caribou Road. We saw about 30 CALIFORNIA QUAIL along the road. At the north end of the road near Old Vantage Hwy we saw a WILSON'S SNIPE. It was fairly quiet along the Vantage Hwy but we did see WESTERN MEADOWLARK. We turned south on Parke Creek Road. In the pond near the houses we saw MALLARDs, AMERICAN COOTs, RED-WINGED and YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDs. Some HOUSE SPARROWs were present.



Back on the Old Vantage Hwy just as we started up the hill we saw a MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD. We stopped and got nice looks at two pairs of MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDs and also had a singing SAGE THRASHER. We continued on just past the entrance to the Wild Horse Wind Project. We pulled over, walked a short distance on the old pavement section and looked for sage birds. We soon had a SAGE SPARROW come in and perch about 30 feet away on the top of a Sage plant. Great looks under ideal, sunny lighting conditions. Another SAGE THRASHER sang across the road.



We continued on down the highway and discussing some of the places that will be good for returning migrating birds in a couple of weeks. Down at the end of the old road at the Columbia River we saw, and heard ROCK WREN, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (Audubon's race). On the river there were GREATER SCAUP, BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON GOLDENEYE, HORNED GREBE (now in breeding plumage), AMERICAN WIGEON, COMMON MERGANSER and PIED-BILLED and WESTERN GREBEs (the Western was over on the Grant Co. side). A CASPIAN TERN flew down river. Up at the Visitors Center we saw the usual nesting SAY'S PHOEBE. The trees had RUBY-CROWNED and GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETs, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERs (Audubon and Myrtle races) and HOUSE FINCH.



We drove down Huntzinger Road and saw a few more BUFFLEHEAD and COMMON GOLDENEYE. Just below the Wanapum Dam we had two AMERICAN WHITE PELICANs on the river (on the Kittitas County side - one then flew over to Grant County). There was also a COMMON LOON there as well as a DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT. At the canyon spot we heard and saw another ROCK WREN, but missed on the Canyon Wren. On the bar in the river there were RING-BILLED, CALIFORNIA and GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLs and an OSPREY. Lots of VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWs were zooming by us, almost hitting us with their wings. A few CLIFF SWALLOWs were present. A PRAIRIE FALCON flew out briefly over the river and then back out of sight - only a couple of us saw it.



As we headed back west and toward home we finally saw a GREAT BLUE HERON on a roadside pond, we guessed that most of them had been at their nests. At the Roslyn turn-off on I-90 we had 5 TURKEY VULTUREs.



It was a great day with sunny warm (high of 68F) weather and we saw 96 species!



To paraphrase on excellent birder- it was a great day!



Brian H. Bell

Woodinville Wa

mail to bell asoc at iso media dot com