Good morning Tweeters,

Yesterday (Saturday) I birded with Dave and Sherry Hayden and Barb McDowell from the Wilson Creek region through the Old Vantage Highway. Here's some of the highlights:

Wilson Creek area:
Kanniwai Rd: We spotted the first-of-the-day's SWAINSON'S HAWK (we saw a handful more throughout the day while east of the Columbia River). To the right side of the road when driving away from the town of Wilson Creek, where the sage gives way to a more open, grassy habitat, we managed to call up a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW . It was quite sneaky at first, but it eventually popped into view, allowing for long looks and a positive ID.

23 NE: We were hoping for Ferruginous Hawk on the cliffs or soaring about, but we did not see any. There were lots of ducks and coots in the mashes, including several REDHEADS and RUDDY DUCKS, both of which were common throughout the region. We also picked up VESPER SPARROW along this road. WESTERN KINGBIRDS seemed to be everywhere. Raptors included OSPREY, A. KESTREL, and RED-TAILED and SWAINSON'S HAWK.

22 NE: We stopped at a couple of places and scoped down into the marsh from the various overlooks. The land here is privately owned and care must be taken to find a viewing point where one can scope the marsh, park off of the road, and not trespass. The most productive place proved to be by a small gravel quarry. From here we were able to look down on good numbers of ducks and YELLOW-HEADED and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS. Sherry also saw an A. BITTERN fly up and then disappear into the reeds. A few BLACK-NECKED STILTS were also present. While looking at the marsh from this location with the railroad bridge in the background, we were able to see a few TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS mixed in with the Red-winged Blackbirds. We counted at least 6, but it was very difficult to get an accurate number since they were all moving around a lot and popping in and out of view. There could easily be many more. It would have been nice to have been able to get a closer look. Walking back to the car, Dave found a singling LARK SPARROW across the road. We also got our first BALD EAGLE of the day nearby. Barb saw a probable BULLOCK'S ORIOLE make a brief appearance. No other orioles turned up for the remainder of the trip, which was surprising.

Hwy 28, Brook Lake overlook (by MP 65 if I remember correctly): We stopped here to scope Brook Lake (definitely needed a scope; too far for just binoculars). We found a small flock of FORSTER'S TERNS along with a few A. AVOCETS and a couple of WILSON'S PHALAROPES.

J NE (on the way back to Ephrata). We found our one and only EASTERN KINGBIRD of the day perched on a fence wire.

Soap Lake: I counted 23 WILSON'S PHALAROPES. We also saw BLACK-NECKED STILTS and A. AVOCETS.

South of Ephrata along F NW and 10th NW (small side roads): 2 LONG-BILLED CURLEWS in a field just off of the road.

Gingko Petrified Forest SP by Vantage: It was fairly quiet here (late in the afternoon). We saw a SAY'S PHOEBE, ROCK WREN (actually commonly encountered throughout the day at many of our stops near cliffs and bluffs), TURKEY VULTURE, and WILSON'S and YELLOW WARBLER.

Recreation Dr. less than half a mile up from the boat ramp below Gingko: We hiked up the trail where the BLACK-THROATED SPARROWS were seen the previous year. We really weren't expecting to see one, but just a couple of hundred feet up the trail, one landed on a bush not far from where we were standing, giving us great looks. Very striking sparrow. It spent the next few minutes sneaking about and then popping into view, sometimes vocalizing. Another bird joined it, but we could not get a good look at it and couldn't determine if it was a second one or not. On the way back to the car a CHUKAR flew passed us and landed by the road. It stayed in view for a few minutes. Other chukars were calling from nearby undercover.

Old Vantage Hwy near MP 26: 3 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, 2 near each other on the telephone wire and 1 flying about below them. I had never seen 3 in one location before.

Quilomene Wildlife Area: Good looks at SAGE SPARROW AND SAGE THRASHER. We heard Brewer's Sparrow, but they would not come into view.

Old Vantage Hwy Miscellaneous: Several MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS and, at a pull-out near the huge power line towers, finally a cooperative BREWER'S SPARROW.

All four of us got several FOY species and Barb saw at least 5 lifers. Really nice day of birding.

Lonnie Somer
Olympia
wheelermombi at comcast.net