Hi Tweets



Yesterday, Eastside Audubon took a trip to Kittitas County looking for in
what for a normal year would be Sage birds. Our day started slightly before
dawn, cloudy and 37F. As we climbed up toward Snoqualmie Pass we could see
the remains of the last snow falls - lots of snow left up there. As we
progressed down the east side of the Pass the clouds cleared off and the
snow continued. By the time we got to Kittitas we still had snow on the
ground.



Along I-90 we picked up AMERICAN CROW, COMMON RAVEN, RED-TAILED HAWK (the
first of many, many) and unidentified Swans. In the town of Kittitas we saw
EUROPEAN STARLING, RED-TAILED HAWK, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, EURASIAN
COLLARED-DOVE, BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE and HOUSE SPARROW. Along Caribou Road we
added HOUSE FINCH, RED-TAILED HAWK, BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE, DARK-EYED JUNCO,
WHITE-CROWNED and GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, BELTED KINGFISHER, and CANADA
GOOSE.



Along the Vantage Highway we saw more RED-TAILED HAWKs, and EUROPEAN
STARLING. We drove down Parke Creek Road to the pond to find it frozen. We
did see KILLDEER, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, SONG SPARROW, HOUSE SPARROW,
AMERICAN KESTREL, and a very nice ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. It was becoming clear
that because of the heavy snow and colder temperatures that we were unlikely
to find many of the Sage Birds.



At the Wild Horse Wind Farm we did have two NORTHERN SHRIKEs, and a COMMON
RAVEN. There was no response by Sagebrush Sparrow or Sage Thasher. We did
not drive in at Quilomene because of the snow, but we did make an attempt
for Sagebrush Sparrow - no reply. It had made it up to 43F and there was no
wind.



Along Recreation Road (Rocky Coulee) we had a very nice singing SAY'S
PHOEBE, and on the river COMMON GOLDENEYE, BUFFLEHEAD, a distant
unidentified Scaup and COMMON RAVEN.



We climbed up the back side toward the Gingko State Park Center and picked
up another SAY'S PHOEBE and a pair of WESTERN BLUEBIRDs. Also EUROPEAN
STARLINGs, and AMERICAN ROBIN. A pair of COMMON MERGANSERs flew by down on
the Columbia River. As we drove down Huntsinger Road we saw several
VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWs (our first of the year). Near the base of Wanupam Dam
we saw a ROCK WREN on the cliff side, saw another AMERICAN KESTREL and added
to our RED-TAILED HAWK tally.



At the Cove we picked up BUFFLHEAD, GREATER SCAUP, LESSER SCAUP,
GREEN-WINGED TEAL, RING-NECKED DUCK, AMERICAN COOT, MALLARD, BALD EAGLE,
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW and PIED-BILLED GREBE. We made a
lunch stop at Wanupam State Park (we had the park to ourselves) we saw
KILLDEER (some flying overhead and displaying), AMERICAN ROBIN, and
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER.



Beginning to work our way home along I-90 we saw COMMON RAVEN, RED-TAILED
HAWK, MALLARD and NORTHERN HARRIER. In Ellensburg we took SR97 and picked up
BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE, EUROPEAN STARLING, RED-TAILED HAWK, KILLDEER, CANADA
GOOSE and BALD EAGLE. Along Bettas Road we saw ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (a
beautiful bird), and COMMON RAVEN.



On Burke Road we saw two AMERICAN DIPPERS (one with moss in it's beak and it
flew under the bridge), WESTERN BLUEBIRD, AMERICAN ROBIN, PINE SISKIN and
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH.



On Swauk Prairie Rd. we saw RED-TAILED HAWK, CASSINS'S FINCH, AMERICAN
ROBIN, and SAY'S PHOEBE. On Ballard Hill Rd. we saw WESTERN BLUEBIRD.



We stopped at the Teanaway River on Red Bridge Road and saw two more
AMERICAN DIPPERs, SONG SPARROW, RED-TAILED HAWK, BLACK-CAPPED CHICADEE,
AMERICAN KESTREL, BALD EAGLE, HERMIT THRUSH, and STELLER'S JAY. On SR 970 we
saw BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE.



At the Railroad Ponds there were RED-TAILED HAWK, BUFFLEHEAD, PILEATED
WOODPECKER (great looks), VARIED THRUSHK, MALLARD, RING-NECKED DUCK, CANADA
GOOSE, AMERICAN WIGEON, NORTHERN PINTAIL, HOOMED MERGANSER, scaup, PYGMY
NUTHATCH, COMMON RAVEN.



During the day we did see a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH and an
unid. Gull.

As we pulled back into Issaquah we added ROCK PIGEON.



It was an excellent day, although very different than usual for mid-March in
Kittitas County. We finished with 55 species.

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