Hey folks

Friday night (5/31), eight of us including myself camped at Washtucna's Basset Park to start the field trip. At the end of the day Saturday (6/1) we had a total of 84 species at Hatton Rest Area and then those who continued on to Scooteney Wildlife Refuge had a bonus 10 species, ending with 94 species altogether! Just shy of 100!
Furthermore, at the end of the day we had a total of NINE species of Warblers!

Some had county lifer birds, others had Washington lifers, and a couple birders had lifer birds! Our most exciting bird was a calling AMERICAN REDSTART deep in the foliage at Lyon's Ferry. Myself and Amit got brief looks at it to confirm identification but it would not come out for everyone to see!

We also had a FOY for most birders Common Nighthawk fly over and call. As the light got more dim Friday we set up our tents and lounged around having good conversation. Interestingly, all throughout the night a calling Barn owl was making distinct beak tapping noise and their typical screeches.

We woke up to a calling close great horned owl At 2:30 AM as well!

Another exciting experience with a nocturnal bird was a low-flying Common Nighthawk that was flying over the grass at ankle level in the park when we awoke at 4:20AM. It also divebombed Russ Koppendreyer's tent making it's displaying noise. It literally dove and got as close as a couple feet from the top of Russ's tent!

Highlights of the field trip included:

Washtucna Friday 6/1:

Wild Turkey-in alleyway adjacent to entrance to park
Rufous Hummingbird-at resident's feeder
Western Wood Pee-Wee
Hammond's Flycatcher
Say's Phoebe
Cassin's Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Swainson's Thrush
Orange-Crowned Warbler
Gray Catbird-seen and heard

Macgillvaries Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Townsend's Warbler

Wilson's Warbler

Yellow-Breasted Chat-North of the pool deep in russian olives-thanks Greg Falco for the heads up on this bird

Western Tanager

Black-Headed Grosbeak

Lazuli Bunting

Pine Siskin

Evening Grosbeak

HWY 261:

Ferruginous Hawk-two of them-fly overs

Palouse Falls:

White-Throated Swift
Rock Wren-Whitman County side
Canyon Wren-Whitman and Franklin County side
Western Tanager
Wilson's Warbler
Vesper Sparrow

Lyon's Ferry:

Ruddy Duck
Western Grebe
American White Pelican-both Franklin and Whitman Counties
Bonaparte's Gull-both Franklin and Whitman Counties FOUR of them!
Caspian Tern
Western Wood Pee-Wee
Eastern Kingbird-FOY for many
Warbling Vireo

AMERICAN REDSTART

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Townsend's Warbler

Wilson's Warbler

Western Tanager

Black-headed Grosbeak

Lazuli Bunting

Lesser Goldfinch


Hatton Rest Area:

Blue-Winged Teal
Northern Shoveler

Black-Necked Stilt

American Avocet

Spotted Sandpiper

Wilson's Phalarope


Scooteney Resevoir
Wood Duck
Redhead
Ring-Necked Duck
Spotted Sandpiper
Bonaparte's Gull-two of them!
Forester's tern-two of them FOY in Franklin County for me
Prairie falcon

Common Yellowthroat

Yellow-Headed Blackbird


Needless to say we had a great time!


Good Birding,

Kevin Black
kevin.black at wallawalla.edu<mailto:kevin.black at wallawalla.edu>
Richland, WA