My husband and I decided to drive to Vantage after lunch yesterday (May 28th) to go birdwatching. We decided to check out "The Cove" St. Pk. This is located off of Huntzinger Road, past Wanapum St. Pk. on the right (about 4 miles from I-90). We had not been here since it had reopened. It is now a picnic area only. We were so glad we decided to check this area out! Even though it was 1:30 in the afternoon there were birds everywhere! I don't know if it's always like this but there were numerous warblers in the trees bordering the inlet. After checking out all that was going on in the picnic area we walked to the back of the park. There were "Eagle Nesting Territory" signs there with a nest clearly visible. There was an adult Bald Eagle circling overhead and a large juvenile on the nest. Also toward the back of the park a deer scampered off as we approached and a coyote called from the nearby hillside. The following is a list of birds we saw. Sorry it is not very definitive but the birds were flitting about not sitting and letting me get good looks. :-)

Bullock's Oriole
Townsend's Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Brown-headed Cowbird
Mallards
Western Wood-Pewee
California Quail
Osprey flew overhead
Black-headed Grosbeak
Swallows (sp)
Red-winged Blackbirds
American Kestrels (2)
Western Kingbird
Killdeer
Bald Eagle (2)
Vireo (sp)
Say's Phoebe
Sparrow (sp)
Song Sparrow
Mourning Dove
Northern Flicker
American Robin
European Starling
Terns (sp)
House Finch

As a side note: on our way back we drove through some of the fields in Ellensburg. Just south of where Fox Road turns into Lyons Road in the field on the west side there were a couple dozen Long-billed Curlew.

Donna Ferrill
Mill Creek/Cle Elum/La Quinta