The western Klickitat County WOS trip started at 6 am in Lyle with everyone on time and ready to go. Our only Peregrine Falcon of the day swooped up on the hillside above the Klickitat River mouth delta. The cool temperature of the whole day was great and no rain or wind. Can't get any better. Places we visited were Lyle and along the Klickitat River, Acorn Woodpecker spot near Balch Lake and the cemetery, Bingen marina, Husum, old clearcut before Kreps Lane, Conboy NWR, ponds east of Glenwood, all sides of Trout Lake, and finished the day off with Huckleberry Ice Cream and Huckleberry Pie to finish the day off at the caf? in Trout Lake.

Highlights were spending 20 mins trying to find the old Ponderosa Pine where the Acorn Woodpeckers are suppose to be. Finally finding it we found 1 Acorn Woodpecker where it was suppose to be. This tree is more difficult to find every year as more trees in the foreground keep growing. The Ash-throated Flycatchers near by were close and easy to see and Wild Turkeys were vocal, but not visible. At the Balch Lake Cemetery a White-breasted Nuthatch and several Lesser Goldfinches were seen. The port in Bingen did not yield Purple Martins where most years they hang around the higher bare branches on the north end of the marina.

At Husum we had one American Dipper sitting on a log and never moved while we were there. Usually they are very active. Before getting to Kreps Lane on the southern part of Conboy NWR we pulled off the road and found lots of species of warblers, Hammond's Flycatcher, Chestnut-backed Chickadees and more. Both kingbirds were along Kreps Lane while Western Bluebirds hung around their nest boxes. Lunch was at the headquarters with distant views of 4 brown Sandhill Cranes, which breed there. Both Virginia Rails and Sora were calling in ponds east of Glenwood.

North of Trout Lake was a Hermit Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, and hybrids. Gray Jays came to check us out at this spot. The field trip ended with 97 species. Hopefully the group liked the scenery and the ice cream and now know where the hotspots are for western Klickitat County. We had a super group of birders, which made for a super day.





Ken
Knittle

Vancouver WA
98665 mailto:washingtonbirder at hotmail.com
Washington Birder online



http://www.wabirder.com/