Subject: [Tweeters] Benton and Franklin Counties
Date: Apr 20 21:51:09 2015
From: plkoyama at comcast.net - plkoyama at comcast.net


Tweets,
David and I took a quick overnight trip to the Tri-Cities to add to our Benton and Franklin County lists. A few of the birds we saw were Benton Co: 4/19--Loggerhead Shrike and Sagebrush Sparrow on Rattlesnake Mountain (Crooks Rd) out of Prosser; Yellow-headed Blackbird and Ruddy Duck in ponds the Park at the Lake in West Richland; 4/20--a pair Cinnamon Teals at the Family Fishing Pond /Columbia Park in Kennewick; and a Townsend?s Solitaire (Code 3) at Two Rivers Park.

Also today, in Franklin County we had a Barn Owl in a hole in a rocky cliff at the wetland at Locust Water road (off Pasco-Kahlotus Rd) as well as probably 20 Sandhill Cranes in flight over the highway; and at Scootney Reservoir (often a birding gold mine) more Sandhills in flight; about 20 Dunlin in various stages of plumage crowded on 2 small rock outcroppings out from the docks (I think this was an island last year); several Ruddy Ducks (Code 3), 8 or 10 Bonaparte?s Gulls (Code 4), and one Herring Gull from the parking area at the far edge of the park; and a couple of Brewer?s Sparrows (Code 4) in the sage on the drive into the reservoir. We had to hustle home (thinking all the while of everyone?s speeding stories) in order to make it to the Pass in time to beat the rock blasting, and we were quite tired from the unexpected heat?78 at Scootney! But it was a great little trip.
Penny Koyama, Bothell
plkoyama at comcast dot net