Tweets,
Birded around the Lyle area on 4/20-21. Spring is still a week or two away, with none of the oaks leafed out yet. I followed the route along Old Highway 8 and Balch Rd outlined in the ABA/Opperman Guide. At the turn off to Balch Rd. the grounds of the Syncline Winery were birdy, mostly Yellow rumped Warblers, which seemed to be everywhere this weekend, also abundant throughout the route were Lewis' Woodpeckers. The Balch Rd/Lyle Cemetery had House Finches, White breasted Nuthatch, Am. Goldfinch and of course abundant YRWA. Balch Lake was pretty sleepy, save for a pair of Wood Ducks and Lewis' WP. The Acorn Woodpecker granary tree was visited by 3 Acorn Woodpeckers, albeit unsatisfying distant scope views. A walk around the town of Lyle turned up some cooperative Lesser Goldfinches as well as abundant barking dogs.
The wildflowers are wonderful now at the Catharine Creek preserve, but the peak birding is still a few weeks away. No Ash-throated FCs seen or heard anywhere along the Klickitat River or Balch Rd, so I suspect they are still en route.
For a home base, the Lyle Hotel is a charming, funky old hotel with a top notch restaurant. Well worth a splurge.

Ed Deal
Seattle, WA
dealgen AT aol.com