I do not want to steal anyone's thunder but want
to official thank WOS and Tim O'Brien (and all
participants) for a great trip to Eastern
Washington this weekend. I got in a day on my own
on the way over and then we spent the next days in
the Coulees. Just some highlights as I expect Tim
may report in full later:

FOY Western and Mountain Bluebirds, Chukars and
Sage Thrashers on Umtanum Road; MANY THOUSANDS of
Cackling, Canada and Snow Geese at Royal Lake;
wonderful ducks everywhere; Snowy, Long Eared and
Burrowing Owls; Tricolored Blackbirds at Para
Ponds where they were joined on the same wire by
Red Winged, Brewers and Yellow Headed Blackbirds
along with Brown Headed Cowbird and Starling (if
only there had been a Rusty!!); Rock, Canyon,
Marsh and Bewick's Wrens; beautiful Chukars; an
early Cliff Swallow, hundreds of Sandhill Cranes;
a dozen Greater Sage Grouse strutting; many Say's
Phoebes and Sage Sparrows; several Loggerhead
Shrikes; and a pair of Long Billed Curlews
copulating. On the way home I had an FOY Turkey
Vulture and 5 Clark's Nutcrackers on Blewett
Highway. Altogether I had 90 species and the
group probably had more as they birded further up
to Ferry Canon Road etc.

Tim was terrific. Join him whenever you have a
chance.

--
Blair Bernson
Edmonds