Hello all,

Every year the Swainson's Hawks feast on mice in the newly cut alfalfa
fields in the Walla Walla Valley. The last two days we have had over 140
birds south of Lowden on Lowden/Gardena Rd and Frog Hollow Rd. One of
the birds was leuicistic - thought it was a Snowy Owl at first glance -
but when it flew it had light gray on the primaries.

There are also Red-tailed Hawks, Northern Harriers and many ravens
feasting on rodents and insects - and a Swainson's had caught a snake
yesterday as we were watching - don't see that very often.

Jane Abel found a Parasitic Jaeger and 2 Sabine's Gulls off Bateman
Island, Kennewick yesterday - we spent all day along the river in WWCo.
but failed to see anything unusual. 24 Great Egrets on the WWRiver
delta, 2 Olive-sided Flycatcher and 10 Red-breasted Nuthatches at Hood
Park were the highlights.

On Friday there were 3 RED PHALAROPE at the Wallula Junction Pond just
east of 12/730 jct. Yesterday hunters were all over there - the "youth
hunt".

Good Birding, ML

--
Mike & MerryLynn Denny
Birding the Beautiful Walla Walla Valley
"If you haven't gone birding, you haven't lived"