Hi Tweeters,

I was headed up North Wenas Road north of Selahtoward the old
cemetery at about 3:00 p.m. when I passed a raptor sitting on a power
pole. I had just a glance at it and thought it was a Rough-legged
Hawk. When I turned around and drove back past it, I was shocked to
find it was a Gyrfalcon. It sat on the pole long enough for me to
get photos through the windshield, out the passenger window and over
the cab of my truck. It is only the second Gyrfalcon I have seen in
Yakima County. It was about a mile south of the cemetery. It
finally flew, heading west toward Longmire Road.

At the cemetery, I searched for owls. There were many trees that had
signs of saw-whet owls but I didn't find any.

I decided to go up to Longmire and search for the Gyr on my way
home. Just at Fink Road, which connects North Wenas Road and
Longmire Road, I found a Prairie Falcon sitting on a powerpole. It
also stayed long enough for photos.

Fog was bad along Longmire Road and I didn't see the Gryfalcon again.

I had seen several American Kestrels on the drive, so I hoped to find
a Merlin to make my first four-falcon day in Yakima County. I found
one perched on a spruce tree at a house along S. Naches Road.

I was in Toppenish early this afternoon and looked for the Peregrine
Falcon Richard Repp saw there early last week. Unfortunately, I didn't see it.

Photos of the Gyrfalcon and Prairie Falcon are in the new photos
folder on my website.

Denny Granstrand
Southwest of the Yakima airport and beyond
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Denny Granstrand *
* Yakima, WA *
* dgranstrand at charter.net *
* Denny's bird photos can be seen online at: *
http://granstrand.net/gallery/