We treated ourselves to a wonderful day of birding yesterday, mostly in Kittitas and Adams counties.

Our final tally was 76 species. For us, the big highlights were seeing the return of some of our old faves: WESTERN KINGBIRDS, SWAINSON'S HAWKS, and NASHVILLE WARBLERS, among others.

We encountered several Western Kingbirds throughout the Othello area. Those birds always signify a true return to spring for me.

For various reasons, my favorite hawk is the Swainson's, so it was a special treat to see two of them at once, harassing a Red-tailed Hawk.

And, it was exciting to hear several Nashville Warblers singing at the Cle Elum ponds. We finally got great looks at one, feeding and singing. There was also a quiet Nashville, easily spotted along the Ringer Loop trail.

Another nice treat was watching an immature GOLDEN EAGLE attempting to hold its own with a crow and a Red-tailed Hawk firmly letting it know that its presence was unappreciated.

Lots of pairs of ducks were seen in various bodies of water. Many of the males were engaged in their typical courtship head bobbing. Several CINNAMON TEAL, and CANVASBACKS were found.

And, the YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS are back in abundance. Love those birds!

The weather cooperated nicely, and we were quite happy with our sightings.

good birding,
isadora a. wong
seattle, wa
chupaflor at igc.org