Friday, Feb. 5, on my way east to Columbia County I stopped by the rock cliffs along a small graveled road leading west from where the Hwy 97 bridge heads south across the Columbia River into Oregon. This small gravel road goes west along the Columbia River in Klickitat Co. The first rock cliffs all I had were Canyon Wrens. But the second rock cliffs 1000 feet further west I had calling/feeding Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches. Cathy Flick found them earlier in the week here.



At Whitcomb Island NWR there was a large flock of Snow Geese feeding in the Alfalfa fields. I did not stop to scope them out.



In Columbia County at Lyons Ferry Pond there were Bufflehead and at the Tucannon River about 1/4 mile from it's mouth were a pair of Hooded Mergansers. In Dayton after meeting Marv Breece we were mainly concentrating on finding Merlins and with our strategy of looking in towns near evening and early mornings and returning to the same roads over and over watching in the tops of trees, power poles, etc. we were able to find 1 in the residental area south of Hwy 12. Other birds noted in Dayton Friday afternoon were 2 Eurasian Collared-Doves south of Guernsey on 5th where Tom Mansfield and I had seen them in Dec. Near the ball fields in the sw corner of town on the steep hillside we found a beautiful light morph Harlan's Hawk, a sub-species of Red-tailed.



Sat. with our main target of finding Merlins we spent all day in Asotin Co. Again our strategy paid off with finding 1 in Asotin on the road that follows the Snake River not too far from where it leaves the hwy. in town. Heading south on Hwy 129 we covered much of the side roads that were passable. A small flock of Gray Partridge had their heads sticking up when we spotted them along the hwy. Other birds had were 2 Prairie Falcons, numerous Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks, Northern Shrike, and while stopped watching Northern Harrier in the wheat stubble we had a Short-eared Owl cal from nearby in the stubble, but the bird never showed itself. This was south of Savage Ponds.



We stopped by Fields Spring State Park and had the Rocky Mt. race of Gray Jays, Brown Creeper, Red Crossbills, and Wild Turkeys that weren't too wild. Back down in Asotin we headed up Asotin Creek and had Dipper and a pair of Canyon Wrens close to the road. One last check for Merlin in Clarkston again paid off by finding one near dusk on Hwy 129 north of Swallow's Park.



Sunday we worked the town of Pomeroy for Merlins. After some time going up and down the streets we decided to give it a rest and we headed for the 2 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches that Rick and Tina Taylor found 3 weeks earlier on Kirby-Mayview Rd. before you get to Debow Rd. We were surprised to find them still there feeding on the ground below some feeders. They were the Hepburn form.



Back to Pomeroy, Garfield Co., we began to search for Merlin and right away found a feeding bird near Donna's Cafe on a utility pole. Couldn't believe we were so lucky with 4 Merlins in 3 counties. A side note of 22 Eurasian Collared-Doves along Hwy 12 in Pomeroy right where Tom and I had seen them tow weeks earlier.



We finished the rest of the morning going to Central Ferry and Willow Bar. Many Goldeneyes with the odd Barrow's were seen. A Chukar called along Willow Grove in Whitman County across the Snake River. Our last good bird was a young Goshawk at Willow Bar.


A good weekend with birding with a target species in mind and learning more on how to find them. Long live the Merlins.




Ken Knittle
Vancouver WA 98665
mailto:washingtonbirder at hotmail.com
Washington Birder online
http://www.wabirder.com/