I tried chasing a whole slew of birds that Scott Downes has recently reported for Kittitas County. I didn?t have too much luck there, but I did find a couple of things.

The Hanson Ponds in Cle Elum, as viewed from I-90 around mp 85, had about 8 TRUMPETER SWANS and a single TUNDRA SWAN.

I had great looks at a RUFFED GROUSE on Teanaway Rd., but couldn?t find redpolls or waxwings.

A MERLIN was hunting the newly rerouted section of Reecer Creek where Least Sandpipers have been seen. So none for me.

Birds on the Columbia included REDHEAD and EARED GREBE, with a PACIFIC LOON amongst a horde of COMMON LOON below Wanapum dam. But the best were two female WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS about a half mile above the dam.

I couldn?t turn up an owl of any sort at Wanapum SP, but I did have four GREAT HORNED OWLS along Old Vantage Highway on my way home after dark.

The day was most notable for what I couldn?t find, including 10 of the 12 birds Scott had reported that I?d wanted to see. No Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches for me at dusk, despite a long shivery wait. Also, no Northern Shrike anywhere, which surprised me.

== Michael Hobbs
== Kirkland, WA
== http://www.marymoor.org/birding.htm
== http://www.marymoor.org/BirdBlog.htm
== birdmarymoor at frontier.com