Thursday (May 12) on the way over to eastern Washington to lead the WOS field trip we stopped at Rye Grass Pass Rest Stop and found a Golden-crowned Sparrow hiding under some Juniper Trees. Then we stopped at Soap Lake where we had Barrow?s Goldeneye, Least and Western Sandpipers, and Warbling Vireo. At Lake Lenore there were two Semipalmated Plovers. We spent the night sleeping on the ground with mice running across my pillow most of the night and listening to Common Poorwill, American Bittern, and several Long-eared Owls at the southwest corner of Banks Lake, Douglas County. With an early start before sun-up, we saw the Greater Sage-Grouse at Leahy Jct. along with a Loggerhead Shrike.


Friday morning the fieldtrip met at Northrup Canyon. Grant Counties first Pygmy Nuthatch was near the parking lot to jump-start our day along with a Ruffed Grouse drumming, Pacific Wren, Wild Turkeys, White-throated Swifts, and a Mountain Bluebird. Driving north to Swawilla Basin Road we found another county first. This time it was for Ferry County with a Swainson?s Hawk soaring. Other birds seen along Swawilla Basin Road were Grasshopper Sparrows, Chukar, Lewis?s Woodpecker, Golden Eagle, Gray Partridge, Lark Sparrow, Gray Flycatcher, Clark?s Nutcracker, Cassin?s Finch, Bewick?s Wren, and a large reddish-on-black Black Bear.


We headed to Davenport Cemetery where Hermit Thrushes, Golden-crowned Sparrows, one Pacific-slope Flycatcher, one Dusky Flycatcher, lots of Hammond?s Flycatchers showed themselves. Along Old Kuck?s Road we found Long-billed Curlews, Long-billed Dowitchers, Wilson?s Phalaropes, and two Red-necked Phalaropes. At Reardan the Ross?s Goose was still present. Shooting down to Sprague sewer ponds we found them very high with water and with some ducks and a few phalaropes swimming. Black-necked Stilts hung out just west of the ponds in a grassy flooded field. Two Semipalmated Plovers were in the flooded fields west of Sprague. We spent the night sleeping at Cow Lake in a thunder storm with two Black Terns, Caspian Terns, four Black-crowned Night-Herons, Long-billed Curlews, and many Marsh Wrens that sang all night. On the way from Cow Lake to Sprague Lake was a lone Burrowing Owl sitting on a fence post along the road. Driving south of Sprague at Sheep Lake were two Gray Partridge, !
and a Hooded Merganser, plus other waterfowl and unidentified phalaropes. At Crooked Knee Lake we flushed the ducks when we jumped out of our cars one of which was a Red-breasted Merganser, a rare duck for Whitman Co. Texas Lake area produced two Tricolored Blackbirds, Grasshopper, Vesper, and Brewer?s Sparrows. Heading south of Lacrosse we found a Burrowing Owl, and a Long-billed Curlew.


In Adams County at Washtucna was a lone Red-breasted Nuthatch, Lazuli Buntings, and Wild Turkeys. Before getting to Palouse Falls was one Ferruginous Hawk. At the falls were the normal Peregrine Falcon, and White-throated Swifts. Two American White Pelicans were hiding in the mouth of the Tucannon River. One Barn Owl showed itself in a large hole in the cliffs along Little Goose Dam Road. As usual we stopped at Last Chance Store up the Tucannon River and ate ice cream bars while watching the hummingbird feeder. There was Black-chinned and Calliope Hummingbirds, Say?s Phoebe?s feeding two young that really couldn?t fly very well, and other normal birds. That evening north of Boundary Campground we had one singing Pine Grosbeak land in a tall dead evergreen for 3 minutes before heading deeper into the Blue Mts. This happened during supper and the group all left the table as if they had been shot, running closer for better looks. Red Crossbills called in the same area the next !
morning after a down-pour drowned out the night sounds.


We drove to Alpowa Creek mouth with several Spotted Sandpipers and a Yellow-breasted Chat responded to its call. There was a Blue-winged Teal at Evan?s Pond. Swallows Park was dead with too much water and no mud bars. The Western Screech-Owl was in his nest box with his head sticking out watching the birders watch him. Savage Ponds produced Yellow-headed Blackbird and a Long-billed Dowitcher. Fields Spring State Park still had some patches of snow and it was cold with threats of rain, but we still found Evening Grosbeaks, Brown Creeper, Pileated Woodpecker, Pacific Wren, Cassin?s Vireo, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, and Townsend?s Warbler. It rained hard on our way west to Dixie where Rufous, Calliope, and Black-chinned Hummingbirds swarmed the feeders at Tom Lamb?s place. We ended the field trip at the mouth of the Walla Walla River. American White Pelicans, Caspian Terns, and a Western Gull were our last birds as we all headed towards home. The total birds seen were 164. Not!
bad for missing Avocet and some other should have seen birds. It was great fieldtrip with a diverse group of birders. We were fortunate to find 2 ?County First? and several other code (5) birds to remember the trip by.






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