Some friends and I had quality, if not quantity, bird experiences
last weekend during the heat spell (well, on Mon. it was in the
80's!). We were at the Cle Elum ponds, Hiwy 10, Vantage, Yakima
Canyon Rd., Umtanum Canyon and Umptanum Rd.

From the two days, here's what we saw on Day 1 and Day 2 - birds only
seen on one of the days are indicated with a (D1) or a (D2). Birds
photographed are indicated with a *, and can be viewed with the links
included at the end of this post

BETWEEN SEATTLE & CLE ELUM:

Peregrine Falcon - on light post on I-90 bridge
Common Raven
Turkey Vultures - up to 3 at once, soaring
Osprey - a couple flying
Violet-green Swallow

CLE ELUM NORTH PONDS:

Rough-winged Swallow
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Red-winged Blackbird
Black-capped Chickadee
Western Bluebird (D1)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)
American Goldfinch (heard)
Ring-necked Duck
Bufflehead
Mallard
Barrow's Goldeneye (D2)
Northern Flicker
Steller's Jay (D2)
*Osprey on nest and another flying around
*Bald Eagle (D1)
Common Raven
Turkey Vulture (D2)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (D1)
Dark-eyed Junco
Spotted Towhee (heard)
American Crow
House Finch (D1)
Rock Pigeon
White-crowned Sparrow
*Pileated Woodpecker pair working on nesthole in a bleached-wood snag
- !!!!! :-)

BETWEEN CLE ELUM & VANTAGE, (incl. at Vantage) - Note: no Long-eared
Owls at Wanapum Campground - ranger said she hadn't seen them since
last May:

American Dipper
*Great Horned Owl & 2 Owlets (thanks to Hans F's posts!)
Black-billed Magpie
*California Quail
*Western Meadowlark
*Loggerhead Shrike (D1)
*American Kestrel
*[Yellow-bellied Marmot] (D1)
Say's Phoebe (D1) - at Ginkgo Pk Visitor Ctr.
Townsend's Solitaire (D1)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (D1) - at Ginkgo Pk Vis. Ctr.
White-crowned Sparrow
Brewer's Blackbird
European Starling
Nashville Warbler (D1) - at Wanapum Campground
Eurasian Collared Dove
Red-tailed Hawk - on Day 1, saw many on-nest
Northern Harrier - male (D1)

UMPTANUM RD (betw. 7 & 9 p.m. both days):

Osprey on nest
*Western Meadowlark
California Quail
Vesper Sparrow (D1) - heard only
Brewer's Sparrow
Brewer's Blackbird
European Starling
2 American Kestrel groups, one with 3 and one with 5 (D1)
Western Bluebird
Mt. Bluebird (D1)
Say's Phoebe
Sage Thrasher (D1)
Mourning Dove
(possible Poorwill on road on Day 1)
Red-tailed Hawk and 2 chicks
Short-eared Owls (D1) - 2 out hunting !!!!! :-)

BETWEEN CLE ELUM & ELLENSBURG (incl. Yakima Canyon Rd. and Umptanum
Canyon/Creek Trail) - all are Day 2 only):

Common Raven
Black-billed Magpie
*Great Horned Owl and 3 owlets on a nest - both these and the kestrels
(below) were seen in a riparian area just north of "Big Pines"
Campground/Recreation Area

*2 American Kestrel on tree branches in shade - mid-afternoon and very
hot
California Quail
White-crowned Sparrow
Violet-green Swallow
Tree Swallow
Rough-winged Swallow
Red-tailed Hawk
(possible Golden Eagle)
Northern Harrier (female)
Turkey Vulture
Bewick's Wren (interior west variety) - along Ump. Creek trail
Spotted Towhee
*Prairie Falcon at nestsite on cliff - seen from Ump Crk. trail about a
half-mile in - as we watched, the PRFA receded back into an apparent
cave at the site - very distant photo of site to our NW - lots of
whitewash. Another possible nestsite seen near the beginning of the
trail (cave and ledge with whitewash) - !!!!! :-)

Common Merganser female
Wood Duck males - these ducks both on Yakima River, as seen from the
footbridge

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On both days we left Seattle about 10 a.m. and returned at about 11
p.m. We were at the Cle Elum Ponds around noon each day. Picnic
spots were at Ginkgo St. Pk. (D1), Cle Elum Ponds (D2). On Day 2, we
had a tasty dinner at the Palace Cafe in Ellensburg.


Here are the Flickr links to 3 sets of photos from both days:

Ron' & Barb's Pics from FOY Trip to CWA - 4/21/12: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjzCGbdc

Cle Elum Ponds Pileateds Make a Nest Hole - 4/21, 4/23, 2012 : http://flic.kr/s/aHsjz5xRSA

A Hot Spring Day in Central WA - 4/23/12: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjz5ynqy

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Two wonderful days in great company, including the birds!


Barb Deihl

North Matthews Beach - NE Seattle

barbdeihl at comcast.net




















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