Subject: [Tweeters] S & SW WA birding, long
Date: Apr 3 19:56:12 2012
From: Gary Bletsch - garybletsch at yahoo.com


Dear Tweeters,

Birding's been great the last few days along the border counties of Washington's eastern side. Here are some highlights. No April Fool's jokes are included.

BENTON COUNTY on April 1, 2012:
--At Rattlesnake Mtn were a few each SAGE and VESPER SPARROWS, plus a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE and a Rough-legged Hawk.

--On the Old Inland Empire Hwy, along the cliffs across from a pumping station, was a PRAIRIE FALCON.

--At the family fishing pond in Kennewick was a big swallow flock, including many Cliff, a few Tree, and one each Barn and Northern Rough-winged Swallows.

COLUMBIA COUNTY on April 2, 2012:
--A CASSIN'S FINCH was singing in the town park in Dayton, and a Eurasian Collared Dove was calling nearby.

--A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was up in the burn along FR 64 (south from the N Fork Touchet River Road).

--Smith Hollow Road south of SR 261 was very birdy. The best spot was about 4.4 miles south of SR 261, or about 6.1 miles from where Messner Road leaves US 12 at Willow Crk Rd. In a flock of American Goldfinches was a single COMMON REDPOLL. The last time I saw a redpoll in April was during the presidency of Gerald R. Ford. Nearby, an early CHIPPING SPARROW flew up, flitted around in a small tree for a few minutes, and then flew off over the grasslands/farmlands to the east. A ways north of this spot, a few Northern Rough-winged Swallows were flying around some small cliffs.

--In Starbuck, I think I heard a Yellow-rumped Warbler singing, but could never get a look at the bird. For some reason, I can never find that species in Columbia County. I will let that one go as "passerine sp."

--Along Little Goose Dam Road at the Texas Rapids campsite, a FERRUGINOUS HAWK soared around and around, before disappearing over a ridge. At the dam's little area of trees and lawns, two LESSER GOLDFINCHES foraged with House Sparrows, and a single VARIED THRUSH seemed out of place. There were about ten Northern Shovellers in the river here. Oh, and there were bunny rabbits here. They were either imported Eastern Cottontails--who would do that??--or else, dare I hope, some rare native rabbit?

GARFIELD COUNTY on April 2, 2012:
---Where the dammed Snake River backs up into Deadman Creek, along SR 127, there was a waterfowl bonanza in the evening. A single drake EURASIAN WIGEON foraged in a wet pasture just south of the water. A pair of WOOD DUCKS paddled around along the edge of the reeds, viewed from the wide shoulder opposite the road that goes to the grain terminal. Among the hundreds of American Coots near the terminal, a single female OLDSQUAW hung out with an entourage of Common Goldeneyes. This was in the evening of April 2; today, 3 April 2012, the Oldsquaw and Wood Ducks were not there when I checked in the morning, but the Eurasian Wigeon was there again today.

GARFIELD COUNTY, today, 3 April 2012:
--In Pomeroy were four AMERICAN CROWS. Finally! I had begun thinking that this species were impossible to find in Garfield. There were also a few Eurasian Collared Doves in town. This was in the morning. Later in the day, in the cemetery, were a few each Varied Thrush and Golden-crowned Kinglet, a Spotted Towhee, and some other common birds.

--Back at the grain terminal, a few Herring Gulls and a Caspian Tern flew around. I heard a BELTED KINGFISHER rattling repeatedly from the trees along Lower Deadman Creek, when I parked along the shoulder of Lower Deadman Road, but I could never see that kingfisher. A couple of Buffleheads and Gadwall were among some of the same ducks that had been here the previous evening.

--The astonishing basalt cliffs along the Snake River, reached via Hastings Hill Road, had singing ROCK and CANYON WRENS. Further along this road were three BALD EAGLES. A pair of Red-tails were building a nest on a cliff, not high above the road at all. At Willow Landing were some surprising birds. A single Violet-green Swallow flew by, while 17 Cedar Waxwings foraged in a tree. One or two GREAT BLUE HERONS foraged here. Most surprising of all was a single SNOW GOOSE! This goose was swimming conveniently along the Garfield-Whitman line. Also very considerate in paddling back and forth across that line were a pair of HOODED MERGANSERS and 2 pairs of Northern Shovellers.

--South of Pomeroy on Mountain Road was an immature NORTHERN SHRIKE. A few Mountain Bluebirds braved the winds here.

--I was surprised when I got to the National Forest campground at the forest border along FR 40; last time I'd visited here, there weren't any houses nearby, and the forest had not yet burned. In the campground were Western Bluebirds, Cassin's Finches, Pygmy Nuthatches, and a very handsome pair of WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKERS, besides some other common birds. Just up the road from here, I walked down Road 4000 020. A few hundred feet in, a flock of songbirds included two PINE GROSBEAKS!

--Returning to Pomeroy, I stopped to check some riparian habitat just south of town, and a Great Horned Owl popped out of the trees in broad daylight. This was about nine tenths of a mile uphill (south) from the junction of 15th and Arlington.

ASOTIN COUNTY on 3 April 2012:
---At Chief Timothy State Park (as I still think of it), three AMERICAN CROWS obliged--another "finally" for me, as far as that species goes in the SW corner of the state. There were a few LESSER GOLDFINCHES in the park, plus White-crowned Sparrows, a Bewick's Wren, a Belted Kingfisher, and a few each Herring and Ring-billed Gull. A Say's Phoebe was guarding the causeway, too.

Phew! Time to check for ticks one last time.

Yours truly,

Gary Bletsch


Gary Bletsch?Near Lyman, Washington (Skagit County), USA?garybletsch at yahoo.com?"Nun," sagte ich, "wenn ich ein Taugenichts bin, so ist's gut, so will ich in die Welt gehen, und mein Glueck machen." Und eigentlich war mir das recht lieb, denn es war mir kurz vorher selber eingefallen, auf Reisen zu gehen, da ich die Goldammer, welche im Herbst und Winter immer betruebt an unserm Fenster sang: "Bauer, miet' mich, Bauer, miet' mich!" nun in der schoenen Fruehlingszeit wieder ganz stolz und lustig vom Baume rufen hoerte: "Bauer, behalt' deinen Dienst!"