Hi Tweeters -
Saturday afternoon, I decided to head over to Eastern WA to take
advantage of the nice weather on Sunday. My only real target was to
try for late luck with the Greater Sage-Grouse, but I managed to have
a great bit of spring birding around that.

Saturday on my way to Pateros, I stopped in Kittitas County up on the
Swauk Prairie -- On Emerick Rd [off Hidden Valley Rd], I had a pair
of WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKERS at the entrance to the gated 'Hidden
Valley Terrace' development -- I've had them nesting in the area in
other years, so this might be a good reliable spot for WISA.

Over by the Swauk Cemetery, I enjoyed WESTERN BLUEBIRDS, VESPER
SPARROWS & CHIPPING SPARROWS.

In Chelan Co., I stopped at Camas Meadows -- still a little early for
things to return there, but I did have my first RED-NAPED SAPSUCKERS
of the year.

Sunday morning, I started at dawn at the Leahy Junction lek site. I
was pleasantly surprised to find lekking season still going strong --
39 male GREATER SAGE-GROUSE were present booming & strutting away
until after 7:00 when I left. Also in the area were several singing
BREWER'S SPARROWS & SAGE THRASHERS.

From there, I just spent the day wandering around, looking for new
spring birds -- At Stallard Lake [still in Douglas Co., n. of
St.Andrews], several AMERICAN AVOCETS & BLACK-NECKED STILTS were
present. As I left St. Andrews, I had a flock of 60+ SANDHILL CRANES
circle overhead.

At Atkins Lake, one EURASIAN WIGEON was mixed in the flock of
American Wigeon & Northern Pintails that crowded the small lake. In
addition, a DUNLIN was present.

The road north to Jameson Lake produced SAGE SPARROWS, and was one of
several stops where WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS buzzed overhead.

Jameson Lake itself had many ducks including REDHEAD, RUDDY DUCKS, &
CINAMMON TEAL. Also had a couple COMMON LOONS hanging out & one
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD.

Next, I headed over to WIlson Creek in GRANT CO., trying w/o success
for the Ferruginous Hawk on Kannewai. I did luck out with TRICOLORED
BLACKBIRDS though, with at least a half dozen down at the end of the
road/trail.

On the way south from Stratford to Moses Lake, on Stratford & just
north of 18th, I came across a field of displaying LONG-BILLED
CURLEWS.

I stopped in at the Potholes Rookery to end my circuit, enjoying a
few BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS mixed in with many [more visible]
GREAT EGRETS, DC CORMORANTS & a few GREAT BLUE HERONS.

Gambelli White-crowned Sparrows were moving in flocks everywhere
today. The list of 'Not yet back' [at least for me] included - House
Wren, Lark Sparrow, Kingbirds & Grasshopper Sparrows.

It was a good day, and a great reintroduction to summer birds -

Matt Bartels
Seattle ,WA