Bennington Lake Today - Hot but Birdy

We started our walk early today, but not early enough - it was HOT by the time we finished.  The highlight of the walk was a RED-EYED VIREO on the west side of the trail just down from the parking lot.  Birds were generally very actively feeding and there were lots of them - CEDAR WAXWINGS, BULLOCK'S ORIOLES, WESTERN WOOD PEEWEES, YELLOW WARBLERS, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS, ROBINS and FINCHES flew back and forth in the trees all around the lake.  There were WESTERN KINGBIRDS on the road leading to the parking lot and EASTERN KINGBIRDS on the east side of the trail.  Three GREAT HORNED OWLS were being harassed by the ROBINS and CHICKADEES at the south end of the lake.  There was a female MALLARD with seven very young chicks - the first we have seen at the lake this summer.  A GREATER YELLOWLEGS, a SPOTTED SANDPIPER and three KILLDEER were the only shorebirds seen.  SWALLOWS and SWIFTS swirled around over the lake.  There are lots of birds at the lake.  My recommendation would be to go early, find a shady spot and wait for the birds to come to you.  The south side of the lake just past the dam is quite good.  Also, the lower trail from the parking lot where the tall shady trees grow is another good spot.   Ginger

Black-crowned night herons

There are a number of black-crowned night herons on Mill Creek now.  They can be seen between K-Mart and the Community College, and perhaps further east along the creek.  There is at least one juvenile so it looks like they nested somewhere in the vicinity.  Evening seems to be a good time to watch them fishing the creek in the K-Mart area.

Ginger

 

Hummingbird Banding at Tom Lamb's

This past weekend a group of hummingbird banders from Seattle were here to band birds at Tom Lamb's place south of Dixie.  Last year was the first time they banded hummingbirds at this location.  It was a very interesting and educational experience.  Here are the results of birds captured Saturday morning, Saturday evening and Sunday morning. 

   

    Rufous hummingbirds = 10    (9 new bands, 1 recaptured from last year)

    Calliope hummingbirds  = 30    (28 new bands, 2 recaptured from last year)

    Black-chinned hummingbirds  = 54    (47 new bands, 7 recaptured from last year)

 

Jon Lundak took photos of the banding process and you can see them on his blog http://wallawallabirding.blogspot.com/

 

It was a lot of fun to be able to help.

Ginger

Coppei Creek Evening Walk

Nineteen people enjoyed a leisurely walk on South Fork Coppei Creek Thursday evening.  It was very warm when we began the walk, but cooled off a bit before we finished.  Birds were not as active because of the heat, but we did see a nice sampling of the birds that utilize the dense brush and grassy hillsides along the road.  Cedar waxwings, willow flycatchers and western wood peewees were fly catching from the tree tops. Western tanagers, black-headed grosbeaks and yellow warblers darted back and forth across the road.  Veerys, gray catbirds, house wrens and yellow-breasted chats serenaded us from their hiding places and a great blue heron flew down the creek. Several wild turkeys and two deer could be seen in the wheat fields across the creek. Swallows and swifts swirled around up high - all in all, a nice evening of bird watching. Jon Lundak saw three great horned owls under the overpass at the first exit into Walla Walla on his way back to town.