Spent an enjoyable fall day with a group from Seattle Audubon Master Birder's class. Some of the numbers of rough-legged hawks don't seem to be in yet, but did have quite a few nice birds:

3 Prairie Falcons--1 Reecer Creek Rd, 1 Vantage Hwy near No.81 Rd and one on Vantage Hwy near MP 21
1 dark-morph rough-legged hawk; Reecer creek rd. This makes the third winter I've seen a dark-morph rough-legged hawk in this location.
Nice group of geese on Hungry Jct Rd with 7 Cackling (minima subspecies) and 1 immature greater white-fronted goose

At Vantage had 3 Pacific loon offshore of the Ginkgo Overlook State Park. 2 were past the midway point of the river, so in Grant County and one was flirting with the county line. Waters were very nice and glassy today allowing for great scope views despite the distance. Below Wanapum Dam had 1 lingering American White Pelican and 17 Bonaparte's gulls among a group of 1 California and 2 Herring Gull. There was also a single Tundra Swan above Wanapum Dam and a nice raft (~25) of Western Grebe from the Ginkgo overlook. For the day, 69 species.

A good day with nice people!

Scott Downes
downess at charter.net
Yakima WA