Hi Tweeters,

First, I'd like say a big thank you to the officers and board
members of WOS for putting on a first-class convention in Spokane these past
four days. It was thoroughly enjoyable-excellent lectures and fieldtrips
and the birds cooperated despite the sometimes inclement weather.

Bill and I did our own going home trip today and were helped by
several other WOS birders along the way. After we saw the Eastern Phoebe in
Rosalia, we stopped by the sewage ponds in Sprague. Charlie Wright was
already there and pointed out one RED-NECKED PHALAROPE along with the
AVOCETS and WILSON'S PHALAROPES. Next we drove to the public access on
Sprague Lake where Penny and David Koyama had already located several good
birds including a CLARK'S GREBE. We managed to find a couple birds on our
own later. There was an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER at Potholes Lake State Park
and we flushed a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHTHERON at Martha Lake, near George.

Finally, we drove to Recreation Road in Gingko State Park to see if we could
locate the BLACK-THROATED SPARROW. Faye Hands gave us directions to this
bird. These differed a bit from the directions I'd already gotten off
Tweeters. We took the lower of the two roads leading from the trailhead
there and went in about 300 yards to where we could see some taller
vegetation. At this point we could hear the sparrow(s) singing. Finally,
we glimpsed the bird foraging in the bushes at the bottom of the canyon. It
hopped about for a while and finally flew up past us and landed on a wire
above us with an insect in its mouth. It sat there for a moment and then
flew on out of sight. All together a great birding day following a great
weekend!

Charlotte Byers, Seattle