I posted my White (Albino) Raven pictures last
night but it was actually sent on Wednesday - for
some reason the hotel's wireless crashed my
ability to send emails at the conference so it
stayed in my drafts folder until I logged on from
home last night. I will write more later but
wanted to share some WOS Conference info including
pre and post conference excursions.

As all attendees know, the conference was very
successful with great trips and great leaders who
delivered admirably despite very poor weather.
Yesterday coming home was the only day that felt
at all like "Eastern Washington".

I left Seattle early Wednesday and tried
unsuccessfully for the Oak Creek Canyon birds.
Still a great place and lots of good birds
around. I then birded my way to Ritzville where I
stayed Wednesday night (picking up the Albino
Raven at Wilson Creek on the way) - taking the Old
Vantage Highway. It was extremely windy and I
managed a poor sighting of the Black Throated
Sparrow at Recreation Road (and a great view of
Rock Wrens). Thursday morning included great
little trips to Cow Lake and Sheep Lake before a
few hours of fishing in a "secret" spot in the
desert around midday. Between them the two lakes
produced Forster's Terns (only ones of the trip),
Black Terns, Black Crowned Night Herons (Cow
Lake), Grasshopper Sparrows (both places) and many
other birds expected in the habitats. After
fishing I birded casually along back roads to Spokane.

My Friday WOS trip was to Peone Meadows, Mt.
Spokane and surrounding foothills. Weather was
not good so we could not go after the Dusky Grouse
on Mt. Spokane but still a great trip with lots of
birds. Saturday was the Pend Oreille County trip
with more than 110 species in so-so weather
including area specialties American Redstart,
Northern Waterthrush and Least Flycatcher among
many great birds. Sunday's trip was Turnbull NWR
- beautiful place with lots of good birds but
nothing "unusual". After that trip, which he led,
Tim O'Brien kindly led me to the very noisy and
responsive Yellow Breasted Chat that Penny Rose
had located the day before.

Early Monday morning I went down to Rosalia and
immediately saw the Eastern Phoebe (so there...Oak
Creek Canyon) which was singing on the bridge,
flicking its tail and posing in great light. That
was followed by a trip to a spot Tim had described
to me in the Plains near Medical Lake where a
beautiful Clay Colored Sparrow responded
immediately to a call. I then birded Sprague Lake
(no Franklin's Gull) and Swanson's Lakes Wildlife
area where with pure luck a mother Sharp Tailed
Grouse with two chicks ran across the road and
immediately disappeared in the brush. I then
birded home via Highway 2 and then down Hwy 17 to
rejoin I-90. I stopped at Recreation Road again
hoping for better view of the Black Throated
Sparrow since there was almost no wind. I walked
out about 50 yards on the upper trail from the
little parking pulloff and played the call for
about 3 minutes before the sparrow materialized
and responded very enthusiastically for the next
ten plus. Great views and pix.

Only negative was that by the time I got there,
they closed I-90 for over 60 minutes as they did
blasting work, so it was a very long day.

All told I had more than 140 species for the six
days (plus three big brown trout) plus the
unexpected Albino Raven. I will put some more
pictures up later today.

Thanks to all for the great job in Spokane.

--
Blair Bernson
Seattle