Hey Tweets!

First of all, I don't know when Siri started doing this, but on Friday, she sent me to White Pass using the most wide open "back roads" (I can't even recall the name of the roads. Must have been part of the deal.). I need to leave on relatively busy weekends more often.

Friday!

I've been splitting the birding year between Yakima and Snohomish counties and hadn't been to Yakima since mid-April, so I was excited to hunt for things like Barrow's Goldeneye, Black Swift, and Orange-crowned Warbler at Leech Lake near the pass.

But mosquitos.

Saturday!!

I camped at Tieton Pond off of Bethel Ridge Road, and started the day stupid early hunting for owls. I made a lot of stops and was successful on four of them, tallying two Barred, two Flammulated, and one Great Horned. No Poorwills. Ah well!

Returning to my campsite and grabbing a little more sleep, I woke up and birded my way up the road towards the ridge. Great woogily boogily it's a birdy area. Black-backed, and American Three-toed Woodpeckers, Williamson's and Red-naped (spellcheck just tried to make that naked, named, and napped before giving in.) Swainson's and Hermit Thrushes; Mountain and Western Bluebirds.

I had 65 species by 11:00, so I tried to make it 100 for the day, and still make it back ten Renton to tuck the kids in bed.

Other highlights were Harlequin Duck (from Highway 12), Cinnamon Teal and Sora (Tieton Airport Marsh - the latter marching around in plain sight), Swainson's Hawk (Wenas) and Indigo Bunting (number 97, and an easy bird). I tried for and missed the Least Flycatcher that has been heard on Maloy Road, missing but adding Brewer's Sparrow and Downy Woodpecker to make it a nice even 100.

Gray Flycatcher and Northern Harrier on the way back over Ellensburg Pass ruined that nice even number. XD

Happy Birding!

Tim Brennan
Renton