Last Sunday, my friend Ron & I had a fantastic birding trip to both Lower and Upper Umtanum areas, finding over 70 species and witnessi ng many exciting birds, bird behaviors and bird calls and songs, mostly thanks to Ron's amazing abilities of instant sight and sound recognition. There was never a dull moment, a rain drop or anything unpleasant. Had several pleasant human interactions as well, sharing sightings, photos and scope views with others who were out in the glorious weather and countryside.

Here's our list of sorts and links to 3 sets of photos - starred birds in this list have starring roles in our photos:

BETWEEN SEATTLE AND ELLENSBURG:

Peregrine Falcon (on west end of I-90 bridge)
Bald Eagles
Red-tailed Hawk
American Crow
Common Raven
Turkey Vultures
Double-crested Cormorants
Belted Kingfisher
Great Blue Heron
Osprey
Northern Harrier (male)
Hairy Woodpecker
Red-winged Blackbird
Black-billed Magpies
Wilson's Snipe (at Canyon Rd. exit off I-90)
American Kestrels (here, there and everywhere!)
Violet-green Swallows
Wild Turkeys (along Canyon Rd)
Cliff Swallows
Rock Pigeons

LOWER UMTANUM CANYON AND CAMPSITE AREAS ON YAKIMA RIVER:

*Yellow-breasted Chats
*Lazuli Buntings
Yellow Warbler
Western Wood Pewee
*Olive-sided Flycatcher
*American Goldfinch
Downy Woodpecker
*Cedar Waxwings (in groups of dozens all around)
*Black-headed Grosbeak
*Bullock's Oriole
House Finches
Rough-winged Swallows
Cliff Swallows
Violet-green Swallows
Common Nighthawk (a few in the canyon)
*Gray Catbird (next to the Yakima River and near suspension bridge and parking lot)
Killdeer (near parking lot)
*Prairie Falcons (2 adults, at least 6 chicks on 2 nests on the cliffs)
*American Kestrel
*Northern Harrier pair (near cliffs in canyon - photo of male only) - seemed they were protecting young behind some bushes
Turkey Vultures
Brown-headed Cowbirds
Robins
*Canyon Wren (heard in vicinity of cliffs near a PRFA nestsite)
Rock Pigeons (on rock ledges in cliffs)
Steller's Jay (made all kinds of mimic calls, even of a chat, we think!)
Northern Flicker
European Starling
House Wren (heard)
Belted Kingfisher
White-throated Swift (heard)
Great Blue Heron

UMPTANUM AND WENAS ROADS:

California Quail
Western Kingbird (near Red-tailed Hawk nest)
*Red-tailed Hawks (one fledgling eating on nest, one adult on a nearby tree, more flying around in the area - all 3 of the chicks are now flying)
*Bullock's Oriole
*Western Tanager
Barn Swallow
Mourning Dove
*Western Bluebird
*Mountain Bluebird
Western Meadowlark
Rock Wrens (probable nest in small cliff area just south of the Umtanum Falls Trail, off the road (Wenas)
House Wren (using nest box)
*Red-naped Sapsucker pair (going in and out of nest in tree across from posted red warning sign about fiber optic cable)
Black-capped Chickadees and nest (also across from the warning sign)
*Yellow-breasted Chat
Yellow Warbler pair (carrying nest material)
Dusky or Hammond's Flycatcher
Western Wood Pewees (all over)
Hermit Thrush
Cedar Waxwings
Common Nighthawk (in sunset sky, making both sounds)
Cassin's Finch (heard)
Yellow-rumped Warbler
*Lewis' Woodpecker (on post along Wenas Rd)
Chipping Sparrow
Tree Swallow
*Great Horned Owls (4 adults and 2 fledglings - along Umptanum Rd)
Brewer's Sparrow (heard)
Vesper Sparrow (heard)
Veery (a possible sighting)
nary a Short-eared Owl seen... :-(

Other creatures seen:

Mule deer
hatchings of various flies
other bugs
rattlesnake seen by young girl and her family and photographed
Bighorn sheep
humans
dogs
white-faced and all-brown cows
1 llama
etc.

Links to the Flickr sets:

http://flic.kr/s/aHsjzM51g6 - mine from Lower Umtanum part of the day

http://flic.kr/s/aHsjzM5h9g - mine from Umptanum & Wenas Rds part of the day

http://flic.kr/s/aHsjzSzRjU - Ron's from the whole day


If you've any comments or questions, just drop me a line - I'll get back to you as soon as I get my ailing computer back .


Barb Deihl

North Matthews Beach - NE Seattle

barbdeihl at comcast.net








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