Chirp,

I made a brief stop at Myron Lake this morning.  A male Osprey (no dark
necklace or breast band visible) flew from the nest located there and
returned a short time later with a small talon load of small sticks and
brush.  After working it into the center of the nest, he called for a brief
moment or two.

I walked a short way down the Greenway Path and when I returned, the male was
balanced on the insulator of one of the power lines on a pole just south of
the nest.  I thought it was pretty nifty that he was able to appear so stable
on a rounded perch not much larger than a baseball...although I admit to
being concerned about the voltage coursing through the wire so near his feet.
  I moved closer as he called again and then after a slight pause, he reached
down and twisted something free from his talons.  At first I thought it was a
piece of dry wood but it became apparent as repeated this movement that he
was eating something.  It appeared rather flat and six inches
long...resembling dried jerky more than fresh fish.  He had to work fairly
hard to tear small chunks off which he then gulped down.  It also made his
balancing act even more impressive.

Other cuties in the area during my visit where a small flock of American
Goldfinch, several singing Song Sparrows, a couple Black-capped Chickadees, a
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and a pair of Yellow-rumped Warblers.  A dozen or so
Tree Swallows were flying well above the lake.

All in all, a pretty nice close to town area for a short visit.  The parking
area for Myron Lake lacks signage and may challenge those unfamiliar with the
entrance.  The entrance is just east of Ackland Irrigation and Don's Drydock
Marina on Fruitvale Blvd...both of these business are east of 40th Ave.  Turn
at the Ackland sign with the big red arrow and continue north across the
railroad tracks for twenty yards.

Later,
Rich

One of the fishermen on the lake reeled in a nice sized fish that put up a
spirited fight complete with numerous jumps out of the water.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

This afternoon I passed the Selah ponds on my way in to Yakima.  There were
hundreds of swallows in silhouette and a lone Osprey.
""""""""""""""""""""""
" Scott Ray          "
" Moxee, WA          "
" scray@... "
""""""""""""""""""""""




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Yakkers,

I got a call last evening from a woman who lives in the Nile who is
convinced that an immature California Condor landed in the top of a tree
about half a block from her front window.   She got a very good look at it
and described the head fairly well.  She did say she is very familiar with
Turkey Vultures and was sure it was not one of those.

I realize that on the scale of possible sightings this would be close to the
bottom but perhaps we should keep an eye out just in case the folks in
California or Arizona are missing one.  After all, Lewis and Clark  saw a
condor along the Columbia River.  Perhaps this individual has it in his
genes to fly north.

Denny
* * * * * * * * * * *
*  Denny Granstrand  *
*       Yakima, WA     *
* osprey@... *
* * * * * * * * * * *

Denny,


Curious Condor query.  Are not all the released Condors fitted with radio
transmitters and marked with large number patches on their wings?  I suppose
a Condor could fly out of the transmitters grid but wouldn't the trackers be
aware of losing one in a northerly direction?

As you waited 24 hours to post this, I assume you feel the probability to be
extremely small.  No Condor posts to Tweeters either?

Rich



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Yakkers,

On March 11, 2003 Denny Granstrand wrote "Sunday at the Terrace Heights
landfill there were about 40 Ring-billed and 20 California Gulls with one of
the Ring-billeds having the pink wash. If you are making a trip to the dump,
take your binos and look for it."

If anyone sees any of these  pink-tinged Ring-billed Gulls please report
them to Lisa Hardy of Kingston, Idaho (east of Coeur d'Alene) she is trying
to compile a list of reports of pink-tinged Ring-billed Gulls this spring. I
am attaching a message that she sent to the
Inland-NW-Birders group (covering N Idaho and E Washington) about 2 months
ago.

Kerry Turley
Sunnyside


----- Original Message -----
From: lisa hardy <basalt@...>
To: inland nw birders <inland-nw-birders@...>
Sent: Monday, February 03, 2003 5:29 AM
Subject: [inland-NW-birders]pink Ring-billed Gulls


I am looking for reports of pink-tinged Ring-billed Gulls this spring
in order to map their distribution, and possibly determine where they
are coming from. Last year, small numbers were reported in March from
NV, WA, ID and OR.
The coloring is fairly subtle - it occurs as a pale shell-pink wash
through the white feathers of the head and body, but noticeable at
close range and especially in comparison to adjacent, normal white
birds. The leg and bill color are also different - a darker
orangey-yellow contrasted with the greenish-yellow of a normal bird.
This agrees with what is known about pink pigmentation in the Laridae;
it is apparently systemic, and a result of eating foods with
carotenoid pigments. While certain species such as Ross's Gull and
Roseate Tern show the pigmentation in most adults, the hooded gulls
show the pigmentation less frequently, and I have been unable to find
any previous descriptions of pink-tinged Ring-billed Gulls. Limited
inquiries to other areas in North America suggest that the pink
Ring-bills are localized to the Pacific Northwest.

In order to figure out where these birds are coming from, and perhaps
what they are eating, I would like to collect reports of sightings of
pink-tinged Ring-bills. Please send me your reports with date,
location, number of pink individuals, and what percentage they
represent of the entire flock of Ring-bills. Negative reports, i.e.,
of large flocks of Ring-bills with no pigment, would also be helpful.

Thank you!

Lisa Hardy
Kingston, ID
basalt@...

Chirp,

This afternoon, Alice C. took me on a whirlwind version of the TNWR Turley
Tour.  And believe me, the winds were whirling out there this afternoon.
Surprisingly, we put together a pretty good trip list of 43 species that
included some really decent sightings.

We whiffed on nine of the species Kerry tallied on his last report but found
a dozen species not included on his list.  Our most disappointing dips were
the American Avocet, Canvasback, and Yellowlegs from his list.

Our dirty dozen exclusives were:

Osprey - okay, we poached this one off Buchanan Lake
Redhead - two males and at least one female on the pond northwest of TNWR
hdqts.
Ring-necked Duck
Golden Eagle - on foothills south of Pumphouse Road
Great Horned Owl
Say's Phoebe - Pumphouse Road
Tree Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - several
Loggerhead Shrike - Pumphouse Road
Yellow-rumped Warbler - Audubon's in full (or near) breeding plumage
Yellow-headed Blackbird - dozen or so males mixed with Red-winged in field
south of
                                        Toppenish Creek on Lateral C
Dark-eyed Junco

The most exciting shared sightings were:

Cinnamon Teal - at observation pond and in flooded fields along Pumphouse
Road
Turkey Vulture - my first of the year along Marion Drain.  Confused us by
swooping
                         low over open fields like a Harrier
Dunlin - flooded fields along Pumphouse Rd.  Fairly distant scope views but a
couple
             were sporting the black belly patch of breeding birds...surprised
me.
Black-necked Stilts - comical as they picked prey while on a dead run with a
stiff
                                tailwind.

A couple of questions for the tour master, Kerry.  In a large deciduous tree
on Old Goldendale Road (just north of Toppenish Creek-house #1080, an
abandoned gray bldg. with blue trim), we found a Great Horned Owl sitting on
a nest.  Have you noted this owl before?  Also, on Pumphouse Road, directly
south of the refuge buildings, we found a stick nest on a rocky outcrop right
next to the road.  Lots of whitewash on the rocky face and there is a 20 foot
circular boulder located just west of the nest area.  We observed what
appeared to be black tail feathers jutting over the top of the nest.  It fits
the description Scott gave of Common Ravens' nests...wondered if you could
verify the species?  Wondering if Ravens would be nesting this early?  We
encountered at least three Redtails on nests also.

Considering the wind, we felt we had a very productive tour.  Our walking was
limited to the area right around the TNWR headquarters.  The creek was high
enough to flood the roadway leading to the ponds with the hunting blinds so
we didn't make it any further than the bridge.  An early start on a calm day
really holds a lot of possibilities for that area.  The field trip on the
19th could be a wing dinger.

Later,
Rich


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Rich and Yakkers,

I have not seen the nesting Great Horned Owl  on Old Godendale Rd. before,
but will keep an eye on it.

As far as the stick nest on the rocky outcrop, I have seen nesting Common
Ravens there in past years as well as a similar nest East of Hwy 97  as you
go up Toppenish Ridge. As messy as these nests are it always surprises me
that I don't spot more of them.

Kerry

----- Original Message -----
From: <Rich712@...>
To: <birdyak@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 10:12 PM
Subject: [BirdYak] TNWR Turley Tour


> Chirp,
>
> This afternoon, Alice C. took me on a whirlwind version of the TNWR Turley
> Tour.  And believe me, the winds were whirling out there this afternoon.
> Surprisingly, we put together a pretty good trip list of 43 species that
> included some really decent sightings.
>
> We whiffed on nine of the species Kerry tallied on his last report but
found
> a dozen species not included on his list.  Our most disappointing dips
were
> the American Avocet, Canvasback, and Yellowlegs from his list.
>
> Our dirty dozen exclusives were:
>
> Osprey - okay, we poached this one off Buchanan Lake
> Redhead - two males and at least one female on the pond northwest of TNWR
> hdqts.
> Ring-necked Duck
> Golden Eagle - on foothills south of Pumphouse Road
> Great Horned Owl
> Say's Phoebe - Pumphouse Road
> Tree Swallow
> Ruby-crowned Kinglet - several
> Loggerhead Shrike - Pumphouse Road
> Yellow-rumped Warbler - Audubon's in full (or near) breeding plumage
> Yellow-headed Blackbird - dozen or so males mixed with Red-winged in field
> south of
>                                        Toppenish Creek on Lateral C
> Dark-eyed Junco
>
> The most exciting shared sightings were:
>
> Cinnamon Teal - at observation pond and in flooded fields along Pumphouse
> Road
> Turkey Vulture - my first of the year along Marion Drain.  Confused us by
> swooping
>                         low over open fields like a Harrier
> Dunlin - flooded fields along Pumphouse Rd.  Fairly distant scope views
but a
> couple
>             were sporting the black belly patch of breeding
birds...surprised
> me.
> Black-necked Stilts - comical as they picked prey while on a dead run with
a
> stiff
>                                tailwind.
>
> A couple of questions for the tour master, Kerry.  In a large deciduous
tree
> on Old Goldendale Road (just north of Toppenish Creek-house #1080, an
> abandoned gray bldg. with blue trim), we found a Great Horned Owl sitting
on
> a nest.  Have you noted this owl before?  Also, on Pumphouse Road,
directly
> south of the refuge buildings, we found a stick nest on a rocky outcrop
right
> next to the road.  Lots of whitewash on the rocky face and there is a 20
foot
> circular boulder located just west of the nest area.  We observed what
> appeared to be black tail feathers jutting over the top of the nest.  It
fits
> the description Scott gave of Common Ravens' nests...wondered if you could
> verify the species?  Wondering if Ravens would be nesting this early?  We
> encountered at least three Redtails on nests also.
>
> Considering the wind, we felt we had a very productive tour.  Our walking
was
> limited to the area right around the TNWR headquarters.  The creek was
high
> enough to flood the roadway leading to the ponds with the hunting blinds
so
> we didn't make it any further than the bridge.  An early start on a calm
day
> really holds a lot of possibilities for that area.  The field trip on the
> 19th could be a wing dinger.
>
> Later,
> Rich
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> birdyak-unsubscribe@egroups.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>

Unfortunately, I often see evidence of persecution of Ravens whose nests are
built within sight of highways.  On I-82 between Ellensburg and Selah there
have been at least four Raven nests at different times and places during the
last 10 years.  All but one of them has been shot up by someone, leaving the
bodies of young Ravens strewn below the nest.  I also noted, with disgust,
the same thing at the nest described below on the east side of Hwy 97 on the
way up Toppenish Ridge a few years back.


Scott

""""""""""""""""""""""
" Scott Ray          "
" Moxee, WA          "
" scray@... "
""""""""""""""""""""""

   -----Original Message-----
   From: Kerry Turley [mailto:kdturley@...]
   Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 10:52 PM
   To: BirdYak@yahoogroups.com
   Subject: Re: [BirdYak] TNWR Turley Tour


   Rich and Yakkers,

   I have not seen the nesting Great Horned Owl  on Old Godendale Rd. before,
   but will keep an eye on it.

   As far as the stick nest on the rocky outcrop, I have seen nesting Common
   Ravens there in past years as well as a similar nest East of Hwy 97  as
you
   go up Toppenish Ridge. As messy as these nests are it always surprises me
   that I don't spot more of them.

   Kerry

   ----- Original Message -----
   From: <Rich712@...>
   To: <birdyak@yahoogroups.com>
   Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 10:12 PM
   Subject: [BirdYak] TNWR Turley Tour


   > Chirp,
   >
   > This afternoon, Alice C. took me on a whirlwind version of the TNWR
Turley
   > Tour.  And believe me, the winds were whirling out there this afternoon.
   > Surprisingly, we put together a pretty good trip list of 43 species that
   > included some really decent sightings.
   >
   > We whiffed on nine of the species Kerry tallied on his last report but
   found
   > a dozen species not included on his list.  Our most disappointing dips
   were
   > the American Avocet, Canvasback, and Yellowlegs from his list.
   >
   > Our dirty dozen exclusives were:
   >
   > Osprey - okay, we poached this one off Buchanan Lake
   > Redhead - two males and at least one female on the pond northwest of
TNWR
   > hdqts.
   > Ring-necked Duck
   > Golden Eagle - on foothills south of Pumphouse Road
   > Great Horned Owl
   > Say's Phoebe - Pumphouse Road
   > Tree Swallow
   > Ruby-crowned Kinglet - several
   > Loggerhead Shrike - Pumphouse Road
   > Yellow-rumped Warbler - Audubon's in full (or near) breeding plumage
   > Yellow-headed Blackbird - dozen or so males mixed with Red-winged in
field
   > south of
   >                                        Toppenish Creek on Lateral C
   > Dark-eyed Junco
   >
   > The most exciting shared sightings were:
   >
   > Cinnamon Teal - at observation pond and in flooded fields along
Pumphouse
   > Road
   > Turkey Vulture - my first of the year along Marion Drain.  Confused us
by
   > swooping
   >                         low over open fields like a Harrier
   > Dunlin - flooded fields along Pumphouse Rd.  Fairly distant scope views
   but a
   > couple
   >             were sporting the black belly patch of breeding
   birds...surprised
   > me.
   > Black-necked Stilts - comical as they picked prey while on a dead run
with
   a
   > stiff
   >                                tailwind.
   >
   > A couple of questions for the tour master, Kerry.  In a large deciduous
   tree
   > on Old Goldendale Road (just north of Toppenish Creek-house #1080, an
   > abandoned gray bldg. with blue trim), we found a Great Horned Owl
sitting
   on
   > a nest.  Have you noted this owl before?  Also, on Pumphouse Road,
   directly
   > south of the refuge buildings, we found a stick nest on a rocky outcrop
   right
   > next to the road.  Lots of whitewash on the rocky face and there is a 20
   foot
   > circular boulder located just west of the nest area.  We observed what
   > appeared to be black tail feathers jutting over the top of the nest.  It
   fits
   > the description Scott gave of Common Ravens' nests...wondered if you
could
   > verify the species?  Wondering if Ravens would be nesting this early?
We
   > encountered at least three Redtails on nests also.
   >
   > Considering the wind, we felt we had a very productive tour.  Our
walking
   was
   > limited to the area right around the TNWR headquarters.  The creek was
   high
   > enough to flood the roadway leading to the ponds with the hunting blinds
   so
   > we didn't make it any further than the bridge.  An early start on a calm
   day
   > really holds a lot of possibilities for that area.  The field trip on
the
   > 19th could be a wing dinger.
   >
   > Later,
   > Rich
   >
   >
   > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
   >
   >
   >
   > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
   > birdyak-unsubscribe@egroups.com
   >
   >
   >
   > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
   >
   >
   >


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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Denny,

FYI, from Bill Tweit.

Andy
----- Original Message -----
From: <Sebnabgill@...>
To: <steppie@...>
Sent: Friday, April 04, 2003 9:27 PM
Subject: Toppenish valley sightings from Friday, 4 April


> Andy,
>
> I had a couple of hours before a meeting in Toppenish this AM, and so I
> checked the refuge and Pumphouse Rd.  What a wonderful morning.
Highlights
> were male Eur. Wigeon along Pumphouse Rd. at MP 8 and on Lateral C just
north
> of Toppenish Crk., and sev. Sooty Fox Sparrows in the willows along
Toppenish
> Crk.
>
> Regards,  Bill T.

While toiling in the vineyard this afternoon, I saw two light adult
Swainson's Hawks circling together near the Hoeger Preserve east of Yakima.

Scott
""""""""""""""""""""""
" Scott Ray          "
" Moxee, WA          "
" scray@... "
""""""""""""""""""""""




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

BLACK CANYON
5 APRIL 2003

Ellen and I hiked up Black Canyon (north of Hardy Canyon in the lower Wenas)
today. It was coolish and overcast. On the approach, through Big Sagebrush
habitat, we noted one Loggerhead Shrike, several Western Bluebirds, and
singing Western Meadowlarks.

On the lower portion of the hike, along willow-lined Black Canyon, were
Chukar (2), California Quail (2), Common Raven (6), Ruby-crowned Kinglet
(3), Mountain Bluebird (10 up the scree slopes, flycatching), and Townsend's
Solitaire (1).

Higher, the route passes alongside Quaking Aspen groves, with scattered
Ponderosa Pine on the sidehills. Vigorous Bluebunch Wheatgrass and Big
Sagebrush covers the hillsides here. Blue Grouse seemed to be hooting
everywhere. We noted four males in one "hooting group," each bird separated
by perhaps 150 yards. We flushed one female in this area, too. I became
curious about the apparent close proximity of these grouse, so delved into
Johnsgard (Grouse of the World. 1983. Nebraska Univ.), who states a group of
hooting Blue Grouse may indicate an area of  favorable habitat or, a variant
of lekking behavior, but leaning to the former.

Other birds noted in this stretch included Northern Flicker (5),
Black-capped Chickadee (5), Ruby-crowned Kinglet (2), American Robin (5),
Varied Thrush (1), and Dark-eyed Junco (5).

Higher, in the Ponderosa Pine and Douglas-fir forests, we encountered still
more Blue Grouse (4), Hairy Woodpecker (1), Northern Flicker (4), Steller's
Jay (3), Clark's Nutcracker (1), Mountain Chickadee (15), Red-breasted (5),
White-breasted (2), and Pygmy (10) Nuthatches, Golden-crowned Kinglet (10),
Dark-eyed Junco (10), and Red Crossbill (2 flyovers).

Finally, we crested the ridge and reached the summit (4,224 feet) at the
head of Black Canyon. The weather was closing in quickly with snow falling
to the west and a cold wind blowing, We descended quickly, dallying only to
dig up samples of the abundant biscuitroots (Lomatium), many in full bloom,
on the lithosol ridges, for later identification. My ploy was to ask Don
Knocke and Phelps Freeborn, plant experts, on tomorrow's Native Plant
Society trip up the nearby Yakima Skyline Trail. They willingly  helped in
this regard, noting two quite dissimilar "salt and pepper" biscuitroots
(with purple anthers) as being both Lomatium geyeri, a variable species.
They also ascribed as geyeri another different looking plant, but at least
left us off the hook, stating it was sort of an albino. Our prize was
Lomatium quinteplex, an uncommon to rare and local species, with a massive,
almost carrot-sized taproot. I decided identification of biscuitroots is
akin to identification of Empidonax flycatchers, with many pitfalls and not
to be undertaken casually.

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA
Steppie@...

Hi Yakkers,

If you have been taking photos of birds and would like to see them on the
BirdYak website, please send them to me.  You can attach them to an e-mail
or mail them to:

         Denny Granstrand
         2011 S. 47th Ave.
         Yakima, WA  98903

I have rotated the photos on the website plus added a few new ones I have
taken recently, including those of a pair of White-headed Woodpeckers I
found yesterday near Ellensburg Pass along the Wenas Road to Ellensburg.

On Maloy Road on the way home from Ellensburg I saw one Hairy Woodpecker,
two flickers and tooted in Mountain Chickadee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet,
Red-breasted Nuthatch, White-breasted Nuthatch and many Cassin's Finches.

Looking out the window just now, there is a Brewer's Blackbird walking
around what will be the garden and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet in one of our
apple trees.

We walked from the arboretum to Sarg Hubbard Park this morning and found 25
species including Sharp-shinned Hawk, Wood Ducks on the pond just south of
Buchanan Lake, Ring-billed Gulls on the lake plus lots of usual stuff.

Denny
* * * * * * * * * * *
*  Denny Granstrand  *
*       Yakima, WA     *
* osprey@... *
* * * * * * * * * * *

Thanks for sharing the photos - my husband and I really enjoyed looking at
them.
Sherrel Hailstone

_________________________________________________________________
Tired of spam? Get advanced junk mail protection with MSN 8.
http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail

Hi Yakkers,

At 5 pm this afternoon, Ellen and I saw a Ferruginous Hawk flapping west
several hundred feet over Rattlesnake Ridge, north of Parker Heights. It
disappeared in the distance, leading me to hope a pair of these rare hawks
resides west of I-82 along Ahtanum Ridge, or in the Medicine Valley area.

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA
steppie@...

Hi Yakkers--Just checking in from Ellensburg.  We got up early this
morning to do some fencing while the ground was still "diggable" and
were surprised to see 14 Cassin's finches (male and female) at the
feeders.  The males were very jaunty with their bright red crowns.
The pine siskins are also still hanging around. One mourning dove
also showed up today, along with the usual a. goldfinches, r.w.
blackbirds, b.c chickadees, etc.    Most interesting, however, was
watching a long-billed curlew which was flying over our pasture all
morning.  He'd (male,I'd guess) fly up fairly high, then glide for
several hundred yards making a very soft, plaintive cry.  When
reaching the bottom of the glide he'd resume flapping and regain
elevation all the while giving his "curLEW" call. He did that over
and over again--cruising for chicks?   The c. snipe are all over the
place now, in every ditch along the road.   The red-tailed hawks that
nest every year down the road have set up house-keeping.  The little
male is a very dark-morph, the female rufous,  a very stunning pair.
Still waiting for warblers, they should be showing up in the yard
soon.  Deborah from E-bird.

Date: April 6, 2003

Yakkers,

A small group of Yakima Audubon Members spent some time at the
Toppenish Wildlife Refuge today to do some spring cleaning around the
newly remodeled HQ building. The weather was great, so we decided to
do a little birding when the chores were done.

We birded the refuge proper as well as Pumphouse Rd., Old Goldendale
Rd., Marion Dr. Rd., and Lateral "C" Rd. Bird of the day was probably
the two SANDHILL CRANES on the pond at Lateral "A" Rd. and Marion Dr.
Rd. and the two EURASIAN WIGEONS on Pumphouse Rd. There was also a
SNOW GOOSE mixed in with a flock of Canada Geese.

I believe that Rich Repp and John Hebert birded the refuge earlier in
the day and may want to ad to this list if I missed anything.

We also had four(4)TURKEY VULTURES two along Marion Drain at Lat. "A"
and two along Lateral "C" just South of Marion Dr.

Birds seen (in taxonomic order):

Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Snow Goose 1 - with flock of Canada Geese at HQ
Canada Goose
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon 2 - in flooded pasture along Pumphouse Rd.
American Wigeon
Mallard
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-Winged Teal
Redhead
Barrow's Goldeneye 1 - on the pond near refuge HQ
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Ring-necked Pheasant
California Quail
American Coot
Sandhill Crane 2- on Zimmerman's Pond Marion DR. and Lateral "A"
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt  2 - along Old Goldendale Rd.
Dunlin - in flooded pasture along Pumphouse Rd.
Common Snipe Lots of them winnowing at Lateral "C" and Toppenish Creek
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
Great Horned Owl 1 - on nest at HQ and 1 - on nest along Old Goldendale Rd.
Belted Kingfisher 1 - on Hwy 97 just South of the Golf Course
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Loggerhead Shrike 3 - along Pumphouse Rd.
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
Horned Lark - heard along Marion Drain.
Tree Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Varied Thrush - Rich saw them at HQ earlier in the day.
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Spotted Towhee
American Tree Sparrow - A fleeting look along trail near the obsevation deck
at TWR
Vesper Sparrow - A good look along trail near the obsevation deck at TWR
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Brewer's Blackbird
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

Total number of species seen: 54

Kerry Turley
Sunnyside, WA 98944
kdturley@...

The quarter section of land at the SE corner of Coombs and Mieras Roads in
Yakima's east valley is swarming with Red-tailed Hawks today.  I counted 14
Red-tails there this afternoon.  Other raptors seen recently in this area
include Swainson's Hawk,  Ferruginous Hawk, Cooper's Hawk and Prairie
Falcon.  The raptor numbers here have steadily climbed as the squirrels
population has exploded with the emergence of the young squirrels which have
started to be visible in the last week or two.  The youngsters must make
easy pickings for the hawks.

Scott


""""""""""""""""""""""
" Scott Ray          "
" Moxee, WA          "
" scray@... "
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Yakkers,

Denny Granstrand has just observed (1:30 pm, 8 April) a "Common Teal," the
Eurasian form of Green-winged Teal in the slough along Birchfield Road,
while searching for the Common Grackle. This tiny duck closely resembles the
North American  Green-winged Teal, but instead of a vertical white stripe on
its sides, it has a horizontal line along its scapulars. This form is a rare
winter visitor along the coast of Washington, but much rarer east of the
Cascades. This is a first record for Yakima County.

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA
steppie@...

Our first white-crowned sparrow of the year showed up this AM.  It's
all by itself, but a very confident fellow under the feeders and in
the bird bath. (Last year the w.c. sparrows showed up on April 18th.
However, mine is not an exact science, so one week more or less is
probably pretty close). A brown-headed cowbird is also back after a
several-month absence (I know, it's probably not the exact same bird,
but one can't help but wonder. I  had one hanging around most of the
winter, then it disappeared for a while, and now one's back).
There'll be more soon if previous years are any indication.  I do not
relish having these brood parasites at my feeders, but I'm an equal
opportunity feeder.   Deborah in E-bird

Hey y'all,

This Birdyak thing really works...someone sees a new county bird and puts it on
Birdyak and I leave work early from Sunnyside (4:30pm) and find it (5:00pm) and
get back to work for a meeting (6:00pm) I love it.

County birds that I can attribute to Birdyak getting the word out early so far
are the Sabine's Gull - Sep 01, the Green Heron, Oct - 01, and now the Common
Teal (even though only a different race). I think this says a lot about the
value of this group.

I saw the "Common Teal" at 5:00 PM on the West side of the road just South of
where the Grackle was seen, near the large Willow tree that the ditch runs by.
It was very actively bathing and splashing around. The afternoon sun made the
red head stand out and made for good looks at it's markings. It was with several
American Green-wing Teal and American Wigeons.

I guess I was overcome with todays experience because I left my Field Guide on
the trunk of the car when I left. Didn't notice until I got to Thorp Rd., I back
tracked but couldn't find it so if anyone finds it I'd appreciate a call. (not
the first one I've lost recently, hmmm not a good sign).

Kerry Turley
304 E. Woodin Rd.
Sunnyside, WA 98944
kdturley@...


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Hi Yakkers,

I spent nearly two hours on Birchfield Road this afternoon trying to get
photos of the Common Teal.  It was sitting on the bank of the ditch close to
the road when I arrived but almost immediately flew to the west away from
the road.  I photographed it as it rested on the grass but it was quite a
distance away.  After a while it dropped into the creek and fed for over an
hour.  I couldn't believe that a duck as small as a teal could eat so much
and for so long.  I finally gave up and went home.

The best of the photos is on the BirdYak website:

         http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BirdYak/

Click on "photos" on the left side of the screen.  You have to be registered
with Yahoo to look at the photos, though.

Take a look at a Green-winged Teal in a field guide and compare it with the
Common Teal.  They are quite distinct, with the location of the white bar on
the side being the most visible difference.

Denny
* * * * * * * * * * *
*  Denny Granstrand  *
*       Yakima, WA     *
* osprey@... *
* * * * * * * * * * *

Hello, old and new YV Audubon friends,

We need your help!  My name is Rita Pilgrim and I will be the new
director of the Yakima Valley Visitor Information Center now under
construction between Gateway Center and I-82.   We anticipate a
sizeable number of questions related to birdwatching in the Yakima
Valley and I am interested in supplying visitors with the highest
quality information.

Specifically, we need to know the location of good bird viewing areas
in the Yakima Valley.  This could even be developed into a one-page
info sheet that would include detailed directions (text and map).
Would you like to produce this info sheet and put your logo on it, or
would you like to just send us the raw data and have us put it
together?  We would like to have it ready to hand out by opening in
mid-April if possible.

I have been impressed for many years by the strong leadership of the
YV Audubon Society and would enjoy bragging about your efforts.
Thanks for keeping us in touch with our feathered visitors.  In the
Spirit of Service - Rita

I was out on the Yakama Indian Reservation today and spotted a
Red-breasted Sapsucker working on holes in a very large ponderosa pine.
I know that the reservation is closed to the public, but I wanted to
post this sighting due to the fact that Red-breasted Sapsuckers are not
very common east of the Cascade crest. They are much more common on the
"wet" side.  I was stunned to actually see the bird as this was a lifer
for me after six years of trying to see this bird while living in WA.  I
swear that sometimes you find them when you least expect it or don't
expect to see them.

If anyone on the list has access to the reservation, the bird was seen
at Camp Chaparral along the Klickitat River Road at 2900 ft. elevation.
It is working on a ponderosa pine along the left side of the road into
the camp.  You'll see its holes.

Jeff Kozma
Yakima, WA


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Rita,

Attached is the chapter on where to find birds in Yakima County. Yo're free
to adapt from this file. If you use any of this, would it be possible to
credit me?

Thanks.

Best regards,

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA
steppie@...

----- Original Message -----
From: visit_yakima <visit_yakima@...>
To: <BirdYak@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2003 10:45 AM
Subject: [BirdYak] Birdwatching for Visitors


> Hello, old and new YV Audubon friends,
>
> We need your help!  My name is Rita Pilgrim and I will be the new
> director of the Yakima Valley Visitor Information Center now under
> construction between Gateway Center and I-82.   We anticipate a
> sizeable number of questions related to birdwatching in the Yakima
> Valley and I am interested in supplying visitors with the highest
> quality information.
>
> Specifically, we need to know the location of good bird viewing areas
> in the Yakima Valley.  This could even be developed into a one-page
> info sheet that would include detailed directions (text and map).
> Would you like to produce this info sheet and put your logo on it, or
> would you like to just send us the raw data and have us put it
> together?  We would like to have it ready to hand out by opening in
> mid-April if possible.
>
> I have been impressed for many years by the strong leadership of the
> YV Audubon Society and would enjoy bragging about your efforts.
> Thanks for keeping us in touch with our feathered visitors.  In the
> Spirit of Service - Rita
>
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> birdyak-unsubscribe@egroups.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>

Yakkers,

Ooops!  I just  sent out to bird yak private mail. Sorry...

Andy

Every time that I think I've seen all that I'm going to see in
my yard (West Valley), something new shows up!

This morning, a LESSER GOLDFINCH came to my finch feeder
along with the AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES.  It was a beautiful
male in breeding plumage with black cap and crown, dark
olive green back, white wing marks and brilliant yellow under
body.

It swept in to the feeder, checked out some flowering trees, and
left after a short while.

Joyce Lucas
Yakima, Wa.
ajbirds@...


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I wasn't going to post on this due it not being chasable, but this
sighting made mine at least needed for mention. I had an immature male
Lesser Goldfinch out in the Quilomene, on the south slope of Whiskey
dick Mt yesterday morning. I watched it for a couple of minutes before
it flew off accross the hillside, perhaps there is a trickle of them
coming north this week, keep your eyes out!

Scott Downes
downess@...
Ellensburg WA

Chirp,

Yakima Valley Audubon Society had a booth at today's Arborfest at the
Arboretum.  It was a hands on project for children...making a bird feeder out
of a milk jug.

I had my scope set up to use a a diversion when the booth had an overflow of
kids.  A small covey of quail and a pair of Killdeer hung around the east
perimeter providing more enjoyable targets than the Robins and Starlings.

One of the hot attractions for the small kids was a Choo Choo Train ride
(lawn tractor and four carts modified to simulate an engine and cars) that
was located two booths away.  The engineer seemed to be having as much fun as
the kids.  Around 2 p.m., he slowed down in front of our booth and yelled
something about "baby" killdeer out in the area we had been observing the
adults.

Michael Martin and I walked out to investigate...I was thinking that the guy
must have been bamboozled by the adults appearance.  A Killdeer popped up in
the dirt circle around a small sapling, ran a short ways and then settled
down in the grass with an exaggerated fanfare of ruffling her feathers as if
getting comfy in a nest.  About that time, a second Killdeer ten yards away
began calling and giving the broken wing decoy.  As if on cue, the first
Killdeer ran from the phantom nest and also started the broken wing decoy
ploy.

I took a couple of steps towards the sapling area and was astonished to see a
small nestling and one speckled egg.  Michael came over and after searching
for a moment, focused on the nest also.  The egg was less than 2/3 the size
of the dry nestling who was as motionless as the minute hand on a clock
during the last day of school.

Later when we finished up and took the booth down, we walked back over with
Betsy to have another look.  Only the egg remained at the nest site...the
chick was gone.  At first I thought of predators (several Magpies and Crows
around today) or nest disturbance by the train and people...myself included.

I then remembered reading that Killdeer are precocial...the young are
feathered at hatching and leave the nest in a day or two ready to feed
themselves.  It seemed to make sense that the little guy may have been
ushered off by the parents.  As the pair was visible foraging most of the
morning, I'm assuming that the female was not making an effort to incubate
the remaining egg.  Perhaps she had determined it to be sterile.

The Stokes field guide lists the clutch size for Killdeer as one or two eggs.
  The message relayed to me from the engineer was that there were baby
(plural) Killdeer seen.  I'm curious if he may have observed more than one
baby and if he saw them in the grass or on the nest.

I am quite surprised that Killdeer are fledging this early in the year.
Anyone out there know when they fledge in normal years.  Stokes states that
they may have two broods a season.  The fledglings will not fly for three
weeks.  Unless the adults are required to look after the young for this
entire period, it would seem that 3 or 4 broods might be possible.

On a different note, I scoped the Moxee Hwy. 24 nest with my grandchildren on
Thursday.  There are three owlets in that nest rather than just two.  All
three were moving around well and appeared to be close to 2/3 of the adult's
size.  Still have rounded heads edged in fuzz.

Later,
Rich


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Yakkers,

Denny, Ellen and I birded the Toppenish NWR area this morning, then headed
east to Fort Simcoe. The weather was warmish, with light winds, and a shower
or two at Fort Simcoe. In all, we tallied 88 species and found a number of
birds earlier than usual, presumably taking advantage of the warm southerly
winds that have been directed at the Pacific Northwest since Tuesday (8
April).

We started in the shrub-steppe on Toppenish Ridge off US-97, where we
counted several Horned Larks, three Vesper and 10 Sage Sparrows, along with
lots of Western Meadowlarks. An American Crow flying over was a little
surprising, perhaps just a migrant? Also just passing over were a couple
American Pipits.

Nearby, on the south side of Toppenish Ridge, we walked alongside the
beautiful riparian area (dominated by White Alder and a lush shrub growth)
downstream from US-97 along Dry Creek, tallying 25 species. During the hour
or so we were there, we had a number of interesting sightings, including
Greater Yellowlegs, Say's Phoebe, Bushtit, Rock, Canyon, Bewick's, and House
(a little early) Wrens, both kinglets, Spotted Towhee, and Fox, Song,
Lincoln's, Golden-crowned and White-crowned Sparrows.

Then it was on to the refuge and Pumphouse Road where we noted a total of 14
species of waterfowl. At the display ponds were two male and one female
Blue-winged Teal, several weeks ahead of their normal arrival. Cinnamon
Teals were scattered, about 25 in all. Along Lateral C, we spied on three
Wood Ducks. Gadwall were the most numerous duck at Zimmerman Ponds, unusual
we thought.

Shorebirds have arrived in good numbers. We counted seven species, with
numerous Killdeer, 25 Black-necked Stilts, five American Avocets, four
Greater Yellowlegs, 4 Long-billed Curlews, two or three Dunlin, and maybe 10
winnowing Common Snipes. What a pleasure it was to view these beautiful
birds, especially the stilts and avocets.

The trees at Toppenish NWR headquarters were full of dapper Yellow-rumped
Warblers, many in breeding plumage. One of the Myrtle race was amongst all
the Audubon's. Denny saw an Orange-crowned Warbler there, also. Ruby-crowned
Kinglets and American Goldfinches were numerous here, too. Our first Common
Yellowthroat for the year was out in the marshes here, along with bubbling
Marsh Wrens.

Both Virginia Rail and Sora were heard along South Harrah Road just
northeast of the pumping station. Denny observed another Common Yellowthroat
there, also. Fort Simcoe  held some goodies, including one Turkey Vulture,
lots of Lewis's  Woodpeckers, five or six 6 Steller's Jays, three or four
Western Scrub-Jays (staying to breed we hope), several Bushtits (a first
there?), another House Wren, one male Nashville Warbler (early), several
Bewick's Wrens and Golden-crowned Sparrows and one singing Purple Finch.

Several groups were not as well represented as expected. Swallows were not
easy to find, but we did see Tree, Northern Rough-winged, and Cliff. Raptor
diversity was a little low, too. In that department, we noted Bald Eagle
(one immature), Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, and American Kestrel. We
checked on two Great Horned Owl nests, too.

Rest at home during the midafternoon lull was in order for an hour or so for
Ellen and I before dinner at 6 pm at Villasenors in Toppenish. Afterwards,
we decided to wear some of those calories off with a walk up "Peak 1328"
which loooms above Pumphouse Road 1/2 mile west of Old Goldendale Road. Once
we'd surmounted that eminence, we descended in to the notch to the south and
ascended to within a stone's throw of the crest of Toppenish Ridge. There
were lots of Vesper Sparrows singing, calling Chukars in a distant ravine,
and, at our feet, a fledged, but still fluffy young Horned Lark. The first
brood of the earliest nesting Washington shrub-steppe bird has already
fledged! On our descent, it became dark (as usual, we'd underestimated
hiking time), but a Barn Owl shrieked nearby, consolation for all the
stumbling we had to endure on the way down.

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA
steppie@....

Has anyone seen any Hummingbirds yet? Yesterday while working in the
yard I thought I heard one, then today I glanced out the window just
in time to see a little green back disappear from where the feeder
should have been. I put the feeders up but saw no more activity. It's
a little earlier than I usually see them, but who knows with these
wierd winters we've been having. I was planning to try that
experiment that was posted a while back but figured next week or so
would be early enough. Has anyone else tried it, or planning to?
Phyllis