Hi Tweets,

Penny Rose, Scott Hoskin and myself led a field trip to the Ellensburg
environs yesterday for people interested in applying for the 2011 Seattle
Audubon Master Birder<http://www.seattleaudubon.org/sas/WhatWeDo/EnvironmentalEducation/MasterBirderProgram2011.aspx>program.
We left Seattle at 5am and visited Vantage Highway, Ginkgo
Petrified Forest Interpretive Center, Wanapum State Park, Huntziger Road,
Kittitas, Highway 10, Cle Elum Railway Ponds and Stampede Pass before
returning at 7:30pm. Without stumbling on any migratory fallouts (and
getting stuck during the hour long closure on I90 eastbound), we still
managed to tally about 98 species all told, with some interesting
highlights.

*HIGHLIGHTS*: a RED-EYED VIREO at Wanapum State Park, a NORTHERN HARRIER
pestering a COMMON LOON in the middle of the Columbia, TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES
at several locations, a mixed flock of waterfowl off Huntzinger Road, and
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS and a SWAINSON'S HAWK in Kittitas.

*Entrance to Whiskey Dick WMA:* most sage specialists were not found but
there was a flying family of MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD skirting in the wind. We also
had flyover SHARP-SHINNED HAWK and NORTHERN HARRIER.

*Gingko Petrified Forest State Park* *(off Vantage Highway)*: a TOWNSEND'S
SOLITAIRE and a TOWNSEND'S WARBLER were highlights, with YELLOW-RUMPED
WARBLERS, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, PINE SISKIN, DARK-EYED JUNCO, SONG SPARROW
and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH.

*Gingko Boat Ramp* *(at the dead-end of Recreation Drive)*: a family of ROCK
WREN were lifers for many but OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, a juvenile
GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, LINCOLN SPARROW, a covey of 20+ CALIFORNIA QUAIL,
SAY'S PHOEBE, WESTERN WOOD PEWEE, and YELLOW WARBLER were also appreciated.
There was also another TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE. The Columbia River hosted one
WESTERN GREBE, one breeding plumage RED-NECKED GREBE and molting COMMON
LOONS. The only gulls were CALIFORNIA.

*Gingko Petrified Forest Interpretive Center*: couldn't dig up many migrants
but the stop provided our only (2) WARBLING VIREOS. While overlooking the
Columbia, we were blessed with a flyby PRAIRIE FALCON which buzzed the cliff
then flew low over the water to the other side of the river. Just after, we
were treated to an odd encounter: a juvenile NORTHERN HARRIER started
harassing and dive-bombing a COMMON LOON out in the middle of the Columbia.
The loon would dive with each attack but it left us wondering, what the heck
was this bird of prey doing over water, let alone harassing a loon? Was this
kleptoparasitism? But would a harrier want a fish?

*Wanapum State Park*: a medium-sized flock of WESTERN GREBE yielded at least
four CLARK'S. An AMERICAN WHITE-PELICAN flew overhead and then skimmed the
water in front of us, reminding me that these birds are one of my favorite
birds to watch fly. A small flock of migrants on the north end of the picnic
area kept well away from the small gathering of rescued Brittany dogs but
provided us with our first (and out of place) GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, a
juvenile CHIPPING SPARROW and a RED-EYED VIREO.

*Huntzinger Road* *(pull out to overlook small islands on the Columbia)*:
There was a great flock of mixed waterfowl which was predominantly AMERICAN
COOT with good numbers of REDHEAD mixed in. Scans of the flock yielded
(roughly in descending order) RING-NECKED DUCK, LESSER SCAUP, AMERICAN
WIGEON, NORTHERN PINTAIL, BUFFLEHEAD and COMMON GOLDENEYE.

A bathroom break at the *Indian John Hill Rest Stop* yielded our only
BREWER'S SPARROW with a very small flock of HOUSE SPARROW and HOUSE FINCH.

*The town of Kittitas*: we stopped at a flooded field just off of I90, where
Main street turns left then right. In with a flock of KILLDEER, we had great
studies of two juvenile LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, multiple WILSON'S SNIPE and
a scattered flock of foraging AMERICAN PIPITS. Across the street, a
SWAINSON'S HAWK perched on a telephone pole to allow full scope views.

We had a single VAUX'S SWIFT at the intersection of Highway 97 and Hungry
Junction Road.

A quick stop at the *Teanaway* yielded two female CASSIN'S FINCH and a
female-type WESTERN TANAGER. Our car had a flyover MERLIN on the way into
Cle Elum.

*Cle Elum Railroad Ponds*: we added GREAT BLUE HERON, MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE and
EVENING GROSBEAK.

Our last stop was at *Stampede Pass* where we had a calling HAIRY
WOODPECKER, a flyover MERLIN enjoyed by all and an AMERICAN DIPPER. On our
way back to our cars, we were treated to a juvenile dipper making its first
attempts at singing while perched under the bridge.


All in all, it was a good day of birding.


--
Adam Sedgley
S e a t t l e, WA
sedge.thrasher [at] gmail [dot] com


*SPECIES LIST:*
Canada Goose
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
California Quail
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Western Grebe
Clark's Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
American White Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Swainson's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
American Coot
Killdeer
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Snipe
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Vaux's Swift
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Western Wood-Pewee
Say's Phoebe
Loggerhead Shrike
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Steller's Jay
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
Violet-green Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Rock Wren
American Dipper
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Mountain Bluebird
Townsend's Solitaire
American Robin
European Starling
American Pipit
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Spotted Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Brewer's Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Western Tanager
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Brewer's Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Cassin's Finch
House Finch
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Evening Grosbeak
House Sparrow
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