Hey Tweets!

I made my way through the middle part of the state on Thursday-Saturday. Been blogging it, which has been taking a bit of time after I got back, so I'm breaking up the report into a few chunks here.

Kittitas: Stopped at Wanapum Dam SP hoping to find the Long-eared Owl family. I found owl pellets under a tree where they had been reported, but none in that tree. The tree with the nest was also empty of owls as far as I could see. I finally came across a tree where a fairly large, dead bird was caught in a high branch. I have a picture, and if someone could help to identify this bird, that would be good - I fear it is one of the Long-eared Owls, and I know people have been keeping track of this owl family pretty closely. First of year Bank Swallows, Cassin's Vireo and Bullock's Oriole were the other highlights of this stop.

Grant: Stopped in Ephrata at Oasis Park where a Blackpoll Warbler had been seen by Matt Yawney and Ron Friesz. Lots of warblers were using this area, and I left believing that I had missed the bird, because I assumed I was looking for a male! One bird that I saw several times during my stop had some field marks that had me thinking flycatcher (wing bars, faint eye ring, short dark bill), but was otherwise acting completely un-flycatchery. Not a single flycatching sally, nor a tail flick from this bird that made its way through the branches of the trees where the Blackpoll Warbler had been seen. When I got back, I found that Matt had posted a video of the bird on the Inland Birders listsrv, and I found myself looking at the bird I saw on Thursday! The female Blackpoll lacks the black cap, and has slightly different coloring - something I hadn't even prepared to look for! Not sure if it has been seen since, but I think not. This was at 2:45 on Thursday. A stop at Dry Falls gave me a single White-throated Swift during my short stop.

Lincoln: Swanson Lakes were productive, with Sage Thrasher, Brewer's Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Canvasback, Ruddy Ducks, and Black Terns. These were my first views of Black Terns, and they are just lovely birds. Are there still some in Nisqually...? My plans to camp at Hawk Creek were aborted, as the Miles-Creston road was closed for repairs. Finished the day with a Great Horned Owl in Davenport as I found a bed for the night.

More to come!

Happy birding,
Tim Brennan
Renton
www.39counties.blogspot.com