Hello All,

This morning MerryLynn and I headed northwest away from Walla Walla and north of HWY12. We were cutting across on primitive gravel roads when we came around a curve headed up hill on Sims Rd. and there sat a silver car with a waiving driver. It was Bob Derting out birding Walla Walla Co. the chances of us blundering into him were so minuscule that we could not believe it. Bob told us that he had located a Great Horned Owl as well as a flock of pure Common Redpolls along Nine Mile Canyon Rd. Bob was sure that there were over a hundred birds in the flock. We thanked Bob and off we took for Nine Mile Canyon. Upon arriving at Nine Mile we slowly drove along the canyon road down slope. Watching and listening we went along. Getting into the canyon I turned around and as we climbed up and out of the canyon we spotted Bob's flock of Redpolls in a large flock of more than 250 birds. We stopped and spent three hours watching and studying them. MerryLynn then played her I-pod call of a Hoary Redpoll and several birds left the large foraging flock and flew around our heads and autos. One lit for a few seconds to my left and I took a quick photo. It was a Hoary Redpoll which is new to this county. I am sure that down through time this species has popped up here, but until today no one has noted it. WOW what an unexpected species out in the desert of western Walla Walla County. We are going back in the morning.

Other species of note:

Golden Eagle........1 ad. Nine Mile Canyon
Common Loons....4 Port Kelley, Wallula Gap
Clarks Grebe.........1 Wallula Gap, very rare winter record
Prairie Falcon........1 Woodward Canyon Rd.
Common Goldeneye..34 Wallula Grain Terminal
Wood Duck.............23 Wallula Grain Terminal
Black Crowned Night Heron..2 MP 300 pond along HWY12

Well that is it. It is not often we locate a new county species. so this is a real good day!!

Later Mike and MerryLynn






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Mike & MerryLynn Denny
Birding the beautiful Walla Walla Valley

"If you haven't birded, you haven't lived"