Hi Tweets & INWBers ?

A few belated reports from a weekend over in Eastern WA, mostly focused around Lincoln Co.

First up, for anyone wanting to explore some interesting habitat, the canyons of northern Lincoln Co are worth mentioning again as a great option ? generally ponderosa pine w/ some deciduous areas, they offer a break from the agricultural fields & occasional remnant shrub-steppe of most of Lincoln Co. Pick any of them, and use the pull-offs to see what?s around. I visited Redwine Canyon, Green Canyon/Mill Creek, Spring Creek Canyon, Hawk Creek ? all were very birdy -- Veery were singing from most spots, Red Crossbills were pretty ubiquitous and Cassin?s Finch popped up occasionally, Gray Flycatchers & Hammond?s Flycatchers were here & there, with a few Dusky?s thrown in. On the warbler front I came across Orange-crowned, Nashville, , MacGillivray?s, Yellow, Yellow-rumped, Townsend?s,Wilson?s & Yellow-breasted Chat. An active feeder along Redwine Canyon was hosting Calliope, Rufous & Black-chinned Hummers, squabbling away. I couldn?t turn up a Red-eyed Vireo in the Spring Creek cottonwoods or elsewhere, but they seem likely too [and have been reported by others].

Notable other birds from the explorations:

Franklin?s Gulls ? 5/28 several seen on Sprague Lake , both in Lincoln & Adams Co. Also saw 2 in Stevens County [where they are a code 5 bird], looking across to the Marina from Ft. Spokane.

Bonaparte?s Gulls 5/28 ? 2 or 3 on Sprague Lake on the Lincoln side. Earlier in the weekend [on 5/26] in Klickitat County I came across a Bonaparte?s Gull along Glenwood Hwy as I headed out to Conboy.

Surf Scoter ? 5/27 ? Reardan Ponds ? reported earlier on the list, nice to stumble across.

Black Tern ? 5/28 ? 2 at the Sprague STP, flying over the many American Avocets & Wilson?s Phalaropes feeding in the eastern pond.

Monday evening [5/28] I tried for the Grant Co. White-faced Ibis at Columbia NWR ? no luck for me, but as a consolation I had my first of year Common Nighthawk ?beeping? overhead.

A good weekend,

Matt Bartels
Seattle, WA