2010 WALLA WALLA CHRISTMAS COUNT RESULTS

Canada goose 1848*

Wood duck 8

American wigeon 163

Mallard 455

Northern shoveler 1

Green-winged teal 4

Ring-neck duck 9

Bufflehead 2

Common goldeneye 1

Hooded merganser 19

Common merganser 37

Ring-necked pheasant 171

Wild turkey 679*

California quail 471

Great blue heron 14

Bald eagle cw

Northern harrier 13

Sharp-shinned hawk 19*

Cooper's hawk 20*

Northern goshawk 1

Red-tailed hawk 256*

Rough-legged hawk 4

Golden eagle 1

American kestrel 88*

Merlin 5

Prairie falcon 1

American coot 6

Killdeer 2

Wilson's snipe 1

Rock pigeon 181

Eurasian collared dove 43*

Mourning dove 135

Western screech owl cw

Great horned owl 14

Northern pygmy owl cw

Long-eared owl cw

Belted kingfisher 5

Downy woodpecker 32*

Hairy woodpecker 4

Northern flicker 191

Northern shrike 5

Steller's jay 12

Eastern blue jay 1

Black-billed magpie 308

American crow 353

Common raven 43

Horned lark 162

Black-capped chickadee 89

Red-breasted nuthatch 5

Bewick's wren 22

Pacific wren 5

American dipper 9*

Golden-crowned kinglet 8

Ruby-crowned kinglet 17

Townsend's solitaire 36*

Hermit thrush 8

American robin 498

Varied thrush 125

European starling 4564

Bohemian waxwing 187

Cedar waxwing 429*

Yellow-rumped warbler 7

Spotted towhee 5

Song sparrow 138

Lincoln's sparrow 1

White-crowned sparrow 121

Dark-eyed junco 2079

Red-winged blackbird 133

Western meadowlark 14

Brewer's blackbird 52

Brown-headed cowbird cw

Cassin's finch 1

House finch 440

Common redpoll 2

Pine siskin 230

American goldfinch 315

House sparrow 758

*new record for numbers seen

Winter Wonderland at Bennington Lake

Our walk around the lake this morning was beautiful. Bright sunshine on the snow covered ground made everything glisten, and frost on all of the tiny branches of the shrubs and trees created intricate silvery patterns. Even the grasses were tipped with silver. The fog rolled back in as we were headed back to the parking lot so we were really fortunate to be able to enjoy the winter wonderland.

 

Besides enjoying the snow and the sunshine, we also saw some great birds including a BALD EAGLE, two LONG-EARED OWLS, four GREAT HORNED OWLS, a HAIRY WOODPECKER, 12 DOWNY WOODPECKERS, a NORTHERN SHRIKE and many of the other birds we usually see.  MerryLynn heard a COMMON REDPOLL fly overhead.  It was a good morning to be outdoors.  Ginger

 

Osprey on Mill Creek

There has been an osprey on Mill Creek near Rooks Park for several weeks.  It was last seen today, December 12.  This is the latest date recorded of an osprey in Walla Walla County.  It often sits in the trees overlooking the creek on the south side near the walking bridge that goes to Rooks Park.  There is also a dipper in the same vicinity and both common and hooded mergansers on the creek.  We went out today and got some great photos.  It's so nice to see one of our summer birds hanging around!  Ginger

Bennington Lake After the Snow

We finally got out to walk Bennington Lake this morning after missing last week because of the weather.  Our first encounter was a NORTHERN SHRIKE chasing a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER in the cottonwoods on the south side of the lake.  There was another shrike on the northeast side.  We watched a HAIRY WOODPECKER busily working a cottonwood tree on the east side and there were several DOWNY WOODPECKERS in the same general area.  JUNCOS and ROBINS were abundant all around the lake.  There was one GREAT HORNED OWL in the trees on the east side, and several TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES scattered around the lake.  The water was frozen so we saw no waterfowl, killdeer or herons.  Early in the walk, the sun tried to come through the clouds, but the fog drifted in and we could barely see the far side of the lake when we returned to our cars.  It was nice to be out walking after several days of snow and ice.  Ginger

Tom's Turkey Trot Field Trip

 

November 20 was the Turkey Trot led by our President, Tom Scribner.  We always have a great time on this trip and this year was no exception as 17 enthusiastic birders spent the day searching for wild turkeys.  We found lots of them - in Walla Walla and Columbia counties.  Our total count was 291!  Other highlights included 10 great horned owls, a barn owl, a northern shrike, 5 varied thrushes, several huge covey of quail,  and over fifty  red-tailed hawks.  Watching the full moon come up over the wheat fields north of town was a perfect ending to a great day.  Ginger

 

Bennington Lake today

The birds were happy to see the sun this morning.  The robins, white-crowned sparrows and Townsend's solitaires were all singing.  Juncos, song sparrows, and flickers were numerous and visible.  There was a beautiful young red-tailed hawk that had a dark belly-band very dark brown and white coloring.  Twelve canada geese flew in and landed on the lake (the only waterfowl on the water).  30 killdeer, 4 long-billed dowitchers and a great blue heron were working the mud.  There was a great horned owl at the north end of the lake and a downy woodpecker so busy pecking at a gall on a rose bush that it allowed us to walk right by and get a very close up look.  On her way out of the parking lot, MerryLynn found an adult chipping sparrow (very late for them to be here).  Carolyn saw a great egret on her bicycle ride up to the lake along Mill Creek. Another great morning of birding.  Ginger

 

On another note, there are at least two eastern blue jays in Walla Walla in the area south of Bryant Street between Sturm and Durant Streets.

Snow Geese and White-fronted Geese at Bennington

As we were watching a group of AMERICAN PIPITS and a SAY'S PHOEBE on the dam at the beginning of our walk today, geese began circling overhead.  We watched as 13 WHITE-FRONTED GEESE came down and landed on the northeast corner of the lake.  Then, after circling for about five minutes, 21 SNOW GEESE flew in and landed with the other geese.  They looked tired and settled down to rest.  The calm waters and the golden color of the cottonwoods reflected on the water made it a beautiful scene.  They were still there when we finished our walk three hours later.  Fortunately there weren't dogs running on the edge of the lake this morning so the geese got to rest - at least for a few hours.  This was truly the beauty of nature at its best.  Ginger

Snow Goose at Bennington Lake

We were very happy to see a snow goose fly in with about 150 canada geese this morning on our walk.  The seasons have definitely taken a turn toward fall as was evidenced by the low number of species today.  The only remaining summer birds were 7 barn swallows.  Most of the shorebirds were gone. Only 10 long-billed dowitchers, 14 killdeer, 1 great blue heron and 1 black-bellied plover were on the mud.  Two belted kingfishers chased each other around the east side of the lake and there was a double-crested cormorant, 2 green-winged teal, 3 mallards, 3 American wigeon and a ring-necked duck on the water.  One American pipit was on the mud and a Cassin's vireo was in the willows.  White-crowned sparrows, song sparrows, juncos, black-capped chickadees and both ruby-crowned and golden-crowned kinglets dotted the trees.  The usual flickers, downy woodpeckers, yellow-rumped warblers, Bewick's wrens and house finches were present.  It was a crisp morning and a pleasant walk.  Ginger

Ruff at Two Rivers HMU

Mike and MerryLynn found another rare migrant.  It is only the 4th record of a RUFF in Walla Walla County, and the last one was over 12 years ago.  MerryLynn called me and I drove right out to the parking area at the end of the road, and then bush wacked with her through tall grass to the muddy shoreline.  The bird was gone when I arrived, but returned about a half hour later.  How nice to have a chance to see this rare visitor to our county.  Thank you again Mike and MerryLynn for making it possible.  Ginger

Mountain Birding

 

MerryLynn and I took advantage of the beautiful fall weather today to visit the mountains before hunting season is in full swing.  We drove up Lewis Peak Road and circled around down Jasper Mountain Road.  Highlights on Jasper Mountain included a northern goshawk,a hairy woodpecker, mountain and chestnut-backed chickadees, red-breasted nuthatches, golden crowned and ruby crowned kinglets, juncos, flickers and yellow-rumped warblers.  On Jasper Mountain we found western bluebirds, pygmy nuthatches, a golden-crowned sparrow, and a golden eagle,  along with spotted towhees,  chipping and white-crowned sparrows, robins and  more kinglets, yellow-rumped warblers and chickadees.  It was nice to enjoy the beauty of the mountains one more time.  Ginger

 

Slow Day at Bennington Lake

Bird activity was way down today, probably because of the warm, sunny weather.  Migrants have no reason to stop when the weather is so nice.  There were 14 long-billed dowitchers, 36 killdeer, and 1 Wilson's snipe in the mud.  Waterfowl included 1 wood duck, 6 American wigeon and 5 green-winged teal.  The most interesting sighting of the morning occurred as we were sitting on the concrete slabs at the north end of the canal.  Five raptors  (3 American kestrels, 2 northern harriers, and a sharp-shinned hawk) seemed to be having some sort of territorial dispute over our heads. White-crowned sparrow and junco numbers were up.  The only warbler species was yellow-rumped.  There were 2 American pipits in the mud.  Hopefully next week will find birds on the move again.   Ginger

Bennington Lake Today

 

We enjoyed a "very birdy" walk on September 21.   The most abundant species were white-crowned sparrow (100+), killdeer (42), canada geese (84) and yellow-rumped warbler (80+).  Migrants included long-billed dowitcher (11), pectoral sandpiper (3), common nighthawk (2), red-naped sapsucker (3), orange-crowned warbler (6), MacGillivray's warbler (1), Hammond's flycatcher (3), western tanager (1), and Lincoln's sparrow (2).  Late sightings were house wren (2), gray catbird (1) and western wood peewee (2). 

The water level is very low so the chance of finding more shorebirds is good in the coming days.  The birds were actively feeding in the trees, especially on the side by the parking lot.  The colors are beginning to turn on the trees and shrubs which added to the enjoyment of the walk.  It's a great time to take a walk around the lake and enjoy the birds and the scenery.   Ginger

 

Swainson's Hawks on the Move

I had a report today (September 16) from Nancy Mitchell about 37 Swainson's hawks circling over Langdon Road.  It's time for them to begin their long flight to Argentina and we have many nesting pairs in our valley that will be leaving soon. I hope you can get out to see this phenomenon - it truly is spectacular.  I would suggest driving the roads southwest of town - Langdon, Stateline, Frog Hollow, McDonald, Byrnes etc.   Ginger

 

Bennington Lake Migrants and Fall Birds

Our Tuesday walk got delayed until Thursday, but we were rewarded with lots of migrants.  We counted 12 Wilson's warblers, 7 Townsend's warblers, 3 orange-crowned warblers, 1 Nashville warbler, 1 olive-sided flycatcher, 1 western flycatcher, 1 dusky flycatcher, 1 Cassin's vireo, 1 warbling vireo, 4 least sandpipers, 2 western sandpipers and 1 greater yellowlegs.  Vaux's swifts, barn swallows, violet green swallows, bank swallows and rough-winged swallows were catching bugs over the lake.  Summer nesters still around were 1 yellow-breasted chat, 1 gray catbird, 5 house wrens, 3 yellow warblers, 12 cedar waxwings, 4 spotted sandpipers and 10 western wood peewees. 

 

We were surprised to see 2 white-crowned sparrows, a dark-eyed junco and a ruby-crowned kinglet.  These are all fall birds.  If you haven't noticed, the goldfinches are all molting into their winter plumage. It won't be long before the leave turn red and yellow - fall is on the way and winter won't be far behind.  Where did summer go?  The temperatures are perfect for a nice stroll around Bennington Lake.  I hope you will get out and enjoy the birds.  Ginger

Mud and Shorebirds at Bennington Lake

The Corp is starting another draw down of the lake this fall.  The timing is perfect for shorebird migration.  Today on our walk we already noticed the difference in the water level, and so did the shorebirds.  Besides the usual killdeer and spotted sandpipers we had a greater yellowlegs, a long-billed dowitcher and a solitary sandpiper.  As the banks get more mud, there should be more shorebirds so I would recommend checking it, especially the side down from the parking lot, in the coming weeks.

 

We saw lots of birds today including a pair of western tanagers feeding a young bird.  This is the first record we have of western tanagers nesting at the lake.  We didn't hear or see any Bullock's orioles or yellow-breasted chats today, but the rest of the summer birds are still around.

 

Evening is a good time to check out the birds at Bennington Lake because the sun is behind you so the light is better for identifying birds.   Ginger

Bennington Lake this morning

There were LOTS of birds on our walk this morning. Many young birds have fledged and are being generally very noisy.  We saw more birds today than in weeks past when we could hear them, but not always see them.  Some of the species that had young birds were American kestrel, black-headed grosbeak, gray catbird, black-chinned hummingbird, cedar waxwing, yellow warbler, eastern kingbird, chipping sparrow, downy woodpecker and great horned owl.  There are still swallows, Vaux's swifts, and one osprey flying above the water.  We saw one spotted sandpiper and a couple killdeer, a belted kingfisher, a great blue heron and two mallards along the bank.  A big river otter was also swimming around the lake.  There isn't much mud along the shoreline yet, so there weren't any migrating shorebirds.  We got out early so the heat wasn't too bad - all in all it was a very successful morning of birding.     Ginger

 

Pelicans over Bennington Lake

We watched eleven American white pelicans circling over Bennington Lake on our walk this morning.  They seem to be coming further east from the Columbia River all the time - first the Walla Walla River, and now Bennington Lake.  Forty-two canada geese also circled and landed on the lake.  We were surprised to find six western tanagers, mostly males.  All the birds were enjoying the serviceberries and the hawthorn berries - especially the tanagers, black-headed grosbeaks, robins and cedar waxwings.  Two red-crossbills flew over and landed in the trees on the north side of the lake.  The swallows are pretty much done nesting and will be leaving before long.  Last week there were over 200 bank swallows enjoying the insects over the water.  Many of the birds are feeding young - summer is going by too fast.  Better get out and enjoy them while they are still around!     Ginger

Barn Owls

I received this email from Peter and Barbara Castle about their resident barn owl.  They live on the Walla Walla River Road so are fortunate to have some wonderful birds in their yard. I hope you enjoy their story.    Ginger

 

"For several years we have had a lovely barn owl occupying a walnut in front of my shop in the small pasture for most of the late Spring and Summer.  "Barney" has kept us amused with sightings in his habitat and evening and early morning flights.  This morning one of my chores took me under the walnut and back.  I experienced an explosion of owls.  "Barney" and two fledglings.  Apparently "Barney" has all this time been "Barnette".  I had thought it strange that there was so much whitewash under the walnut this year. 

 

We also have in residence a pair of black headed grosbeaks that frequent the sunflower seed feeder, as well as Bullock's orioles, yellow warblers, and western tanagers."

Bennington Lake today

Summer is officially here, and the weather is finally cooperating.  Birds were very busy singing, building nests and feeding young this morning on our walk.  We watched house wrens and downy woodpeckers taking food to young.  There was one western tanager and a western flycatcher calling from the cottonwoods.  Gray catbirds are plentiful this year - we counted 8 of them.  Other summer birds are present in about the same numbers as in previous years - Bullock's orioles, black-headed grosbeaks, yellow warblers, western wood peewees, cedar waxwings, and eastern kingbirds.  A male northern harrier hunted low along the hillside to the east of the lake and the osprey successfully caught a fish.  The trail is a little easier to walk now that the hemlock has been cut back somewhat. However, it is still over eight feet high along the sides of the trail, making it hard to find birds, especially the chats.  It's always fun to hear so many different birds singing along the trail.  I recommend you find time to go out an enjoy the sounds and the sights.  Just a short walk from the parking lot on the lower trail to the beginning of the hemlock is sure to reward you with a nice variety of birds.   Ginger

Field Trip - Wildflowers in the Blues

Fifteen of us spent Saturday in the Blue Mountains near Tollgate searching for wildflowers.  We discovered that the season is late this year.  Many of the early flowers were still blooming, and most of the early summer flowers were yet to appear.  We finally found penstemons at the Lick Creek Trailhead after looking for them everywhere else.  The scenery overlooking Lick Creek and at the Coyote Ridge Trailhead were spectacular - small meadows that were blanketed in wildflowers of every color and mountain overlooks at made me realize why I love the Blue Mountains!  We identified over 60 different types of wildflowers and shrubs. The weather was marginal, but we didn't have any rain so that was a bonus.  Although we weren't looking for birds on this trip, we did see and hear many of the mountain birds.  A hermit thrush seranaded us while we ate lunch at Coyote Ridge and we found two nesting pairs of Williamson's sapsuckers along the trail.  It was a treat to be able to enjoy the mountains and all of their beauty so close to home.  A nice finish to another season of field trips.   Ginger

Olive-sided Flycatcher at Bennington Lake

The best bird on our Tuesday morning walk today was an olive-sided flycatcher.  The willow flycatchers have returned to the lake - we had two today.  Other nice birds were several gray catbirds, black-headed grosbeaks, Bullock's orioles, western wood peewees and several yellow-breasted chats.  Of course yellow warblers and house wrens were abundant.  There weren't as many western tanagers today, so perhaps they are moving out of the lowlands.  A black-crowned night heron was along the canal, and there were downy woodpeckers nesting in three different places.  All of the birds were very vocal today.  The sunny, warm weather probably is as welcome to them as it is to us.    Ginger 

Summer Birds Field Trip

This morning was our field trip to look for summer birds.  The weather was great after a week of rain and wind.  The birds seem to be enjoying the sunshine also.  We saw 40 species of birds including most of the target birds.  Highlights of the trip:

 

western kingbird

eastern kingbird

rufous hummingbird

house wren

warbling vireo

Bullock's oriole

western tanager

black-headed grosbeak

western wood peewee

willow flycatcher

western flycatcher

lazuli bunting

yellow warbler

MacGillivray's warbler

yellow-breasted chat

gray catbird

great horned owl - one adult and two chicks

veery - heard only

 

One person in the group happened to turn around on S. Fork Russell Creek Road just in time to see a bobcat cross the road.

I hope you'll join us on our last field trip of the summer on June 19, or on one of the 3rd Thursday evening walks during the summer.   Ginger

 

Western tanagers

Walla Walla is full of western tanagers.  I have had people call or email me to say they are seeing them "by the dozens".  If you haven't seen them, take a look in the trees outside your yard - they are probably there.  Rooks Park and the Mill Creek trail are another place to look, as well as Bennington Lake.  Rodger and I were at Rooks Park this morning and saw them, plus many of the other summer birds.  We did see one unexpected bird - an olive sided flycatcher.  We saw another one on Russell Creek Road so they must be moving through.

 

MerryLynn and I birded Biscuit Ridge Road yesterday.  There were birds everywhere after the hard rain the day before.  Dry Creek was anything but dry and there were several impromptu "streams" coming down from the hills.  Recent arrivals seen for the county were veery, Swainson's thrush, willow flycatcher and western flycatcher.

 

Join Rodger and I tomorrow on our Audubon Field Trip.  We're going to look for summer birds along Foster Road and South Fork Russell Creek Road.  If the past few days are any indication, there should be lots of birds.         Ginger

Memorial Day Weekend Around Walla Walla

Interesting species seen around the county over the weekend included snowy plover, sanderling and red-necked phalarope at the Walla Walla River Delta, veery and willow flycatcher east of Biscuit Ridge Road, and an albino starling chick in Milton-Freewater.

Jasper Mountain Field Trip

 

May 22 was was a cold and it was windy, but 12 of us ventured out with Mike and MerryLynn Denny for a great day of birding.  Our first stop was South Fork Coppei Creek where a warbling vireo, yellow warblers, black-headed grosbeaks and  a western tanager gave us the best views.  Several western bluebirds, a Hammond's flycatcher, a Cooper's hawk and a northern harrier were very cooperative on the road up to the "T"  Once at the junction we found a very nice MacGillivray's warbler and a noisy house wren.  We ate lunch overlooking a spectacular view of the South Fork of the Touchet River.  Further up the road we ran into a feeding flock of birds that included mountain and black-capped chickadees, ruby-crowned kinglets, orange-crowned warblers, yellow-rumped warblers, red-breasted nuthatches and a crippling view of a Townsend's warbler near the base of a tree that was surrounded by beautiful blue camus.  A hermit thrush hopped around on the side of the road at another stop and a red-naped sapsucker worked a tree in front of us.  We saw or heard a total of 63 species. We could see the snow from the top, but we had no rain or snow all day. Some of the early wildflowers were blooming, but many are waiting for us to see on Priscilla's Wildflower Field Trip June 19.

 

The Summer Birds Are Back!

Today was a great birding day at Bennington Lake.  All of the birds that nest there are back now, and we also had some nice migrants that are just stopping by on their way up to the mountains.  And the nicest part about this morning was the fact that we got to see the birds and not just hear them.  Hearing the summer birds sing is part of the magic at the lake, but seeing them is an added bonus.  Here are the highlights of the morning walk.....time to get out there and see the birds.    Ginger

Cinnamon teal - 3

Greater scaup - 3

Spotted sandpiper - 1

Bullock's oriole - 12

Western tanager - 7

Black-headed grosbeak - 5

Cedar waxwing - 3

Great horned owl - 2

Calliope hummingbird - 2

Tree swallow - 4

Rough-winged swallow - 13

Cliff swallow - 45

Barn swallow - 1

House wren - 14

Yellow-rumped warbler - 3

Yellow warbler - 30

Warbling vireo - 3

Western wood peewee - 6

Gray catbird - 1

Western kingbird - 4

Eastern kingbird - 2

Yellow-breasted chat - 2

Lazuli bunting - 5

Chipping sparrow - 2

Still waiting for spring birds

We walked Bennington Lake this morning with great anticipation of seeing some new arrivals such as Bullock's orioles, black-headed grosbeaks,yellow-breasted chats, gray catbirds....but we were disappointed.  However, all wasn't lost because house wrens and yellow warblers were singing all around the lake.  We were able to see a couple orange-crowned warblers, and MerryLynn saw a MacGillivray's warbler.  We heard a western tanager and a western wood peewee, so hopefully by next week they will show themselves.  The osprey was fishing and its beauty was noted by all.  We saw a young kestrel peeking out of one of the kestrel boxes, and two very busy parents feeding. Male calliope hummingbirds were pretty easy to spot, and a male downy woodpecker was diligently drilling a hole in a snag along the canal. There was finally a little bit of mud along the dam shore, and the cliff swallows were busy collecting housing material. At the diversion dam by Rooks Park a pair of tree swallows were nesting in a wood duck box. By next week things should be hopping!

Ginger 

Bennington Lake today

It was cold and it was windy, but it didn't seem to bother the birds.  The birds seemed to be concentrated along the canal where they were out of the wind and had access to water in the canal.  We counted 27 yellow-rumped warblers along this stretch and at least 45 white-crowned sparrows.  There were several orange crowned warblers and two Nashville warblers in the mix plus 8 yellow warblers.  We heard a Townsend's warbler and a Cassin's vireo, but couldn't find either.  However we were able to find a singing a warbling vireo.  House wrens were around in good numbers.  There were several western kingbirds, three osprey, and a surprising number of ducks - shovelers, buffleheads, wigeons, mallards and ring-necked ducks.  Swallows were abundant - all species with the exception of barn.  We saw a total of 50 species this morning - a good day despite the "wintery" weather.        Ginger

Bennington Lake today

 

It was cold and windy this morning, but 8 of us walked Bennington Lake anyhow, and weren't disappointed with the birds we saw.  There were swallows everywhere—all five species, but mostly tree, bank and cliff.  Yellow-rumped warblers dazzled us with their breeding plumage and western kingbirds adorned the tops of the trees and shrubs.  The long-eared owls have all fledged, but the two great horned owl chicks were still in their hole in the parking lot cliff.  We saw a Hammond's flycatcher, heard several orange-crowned warblers, a yellow-warbler and one person saw a gray catbird. The weather might not show it, but the birds are saying that spring is here.  We had 42 species of birds today on our walk.       Ginger

April Field Trip

 

The Audubon Field Trip on April 24 was a lot of fun despite the windy conditions, irrigation sprinklers across the road, and dust from plowed fields. 

Swainson's hawks were the most prevalent raptor seen by far.  We had several good looks at them - flying, perched and even copulating. Other highlights included barn owls (seen in two locations), three great horned owl chicks, yellow-headed blackbirds, American avocets, cinnamon teal, bufflehead, long-billed curlews,  osprey seen in several locations and American white pelicans flying along the Walla Walla River.

It's nice to see our summer residents back in the Valley.        Ginger

The Osprey is Back

The Tuesday morning walkers were standing on the bluff on the east side of the lake this morning when a beautiful osprey flew over us, circled the lake a couple times, dove into the water and came up with a fish.  It then flew off to enjoy a meal.  There were two Say's phoebe's today - one along the dam and one on the east side.  A northern shrike was singing in the shrubs near "Cayuse Falls" and three Townsend's solitaires sang for us from their usual spot at the northeast end of the lake.  The male tree swallows were on top of or near the nest boxes.  Could it be that the females are already nesting?  We saw or heard 33 species today.  It's nice to see some of the winter birds still remain while the summer birds are starting to come  back.    Ginger 

Tree Swallows at Bennington Lake

The tree swallows are back.  There were six near the boxes at the south end of the lake and three along the canal.  One of the poles at the south end had been unscrewed and was laying down.  We re-attached it to the base and the birds were flying in and out of the box even before we finished securing it.  Now, that's a bird that gets down to business!!  The great horned owl has chicks.  There was one barely visible and hopefully more tucked under mom's wing. 

 

Songbirds were singing this morning - finches, Bewick's wrens, chickadees, song sparrows, robins and ruby crowned kinglets.  It's so nice to hear their sweet voices again as we walk around the lake.  A female harrier spent considerable time dive bombing a red-tailed hawk, obviously not wanting the red-tail near her nesting grounds.  Doves were cooing, killdeer were calling and red-winged blackbirds were singing.  Spring is coming to Bennington Lake.  It only gets better each week now.  Get out there so you don't miss the fun.     Ginger

Spring Begins Fieldtrip - March 20

 

Mike and MerryLynn Denny led a Blue Mountain Audubon fieldtrip to the west side of the county on March 20.  A total of 69 species were seen by the group.  Highlights of the trip were  watching a displaying long-billed curlew on Lamdin Road, looking through scopes at a peregrine falcon and a prairie falcon on the cliffs in Wallula Gap and listening to the canyon wrens sing, watching a common loon on the Columbia River in Wallula Gap, seeing the large flock of snow geese at McNary NWR, looking at tundra swans and white-fronted geese at Casey Pond,  marveling at a chukar gliding most of the way down Hatch Grade, looking at wildflowers in Wallula Gap and on Hatch Grade and watching a mink swimming on the Walla Walla River on Byrnes Road.      

A Lake Once More

There is water again at Bennington Lake and more is being diverted from Mill Creek. "Cayuse Falls" was running as we walked up the trail and around the canal.  It was cold and windy so the birds were scarce.  The only new bird we saw was a yellow-rumped warbler.  There were a pair of northern harriers hunting the north end of the trail and a pair of kestrels near the the falls.  Black-capped chickadees were plentiful and a northern shrike posed for us in a nearby shrub as we walked by.  A Cooper's hawk hunted the east side of the trail. The leaves are beginning to bud on the trees - it won't be long before spring will be here.          Ginger

Northern Saw-whet Owl at Bennington Lake

We found a northern saw-whet owl on our morning walk today.  It was in the pines on the east side of the lake.  There was also a very vocal northern shrike on the trail by the canal.  The great horned owl was in her nest hole in the parking lot.  Only one bird on the water this morning - a female common merganser.  There were six killdeer and a great blue heron along the shoreline.  It was pretty quiet today, probably because of the wind, but the little owl certainly made it an eventful morning walk.     Ginger

Waterfowl Field Trip February 20

Sixteen eager birders left foggy Walla Walla Saturday morning and drove over to the Columbia River to look for waterfowl.  Fortunately, the fog had lifted by the time we got to the river.  The birds were cooperative - we saw white-fronted geese, canada geese,  cackling geese, tundra swans,  trumpeter swans and seventeen species of ducks. One common loon was spotted far out in the river at the Wallula grain terminal and several American white pelicans circled above at McNary NWR Headquarters.  We saw about 20 bald eagles along the river and noted that there more adult birds seen than in weeks past. On our return to Walla Walla we drove Byrnes Road and watched a beautiful ferruginous hawk flying above us, a Cooper's hawk hunting the roadside, a singing Say's phoebe, two rough-legged hawks, a great horned owl on a nest, and numerous red-tailed hawks, northern harriers and American kestrels.  A nice ending to a beautiful sunny day in western Walla Walla County.       Ginger

Bennington Lake Today

We saw two northern shrikes on our walk this morning.  One of them was very agitated, either with the other shrike or with a kestrel that was nearby. The killdeer have returned to the lake - there were three of them today.  We saw one great horned owl, a sharp-shinned hawk, a male northern harrier and one red-tailed hawk.  There were 31 common mergansers on the lake, two mallards and two canada geese.  The Bewick's wrens were singing, and there were downy woodpeckers, juncos, robins, Townsend's solitaires, song sparrows, white-crowned sparrows and black-capped chickadees along the trail. One ring-billed gull circled the lake while a great blue heron kept watch from the top of the dam.  All in all, a pretty typical February day at the lake.      Ginger

A Foggy Morning at Bennington Lake

MerryLynn, Priscilla and I walked around the lake this morning in a peaceful fog.  Twenty-five common mergansers and three green-winged teal floated in and out of the fog while a great blue heron sat on the beaver house.  A great horned owl looked down on us from the trail, a red-tailed hawk flew off from its perch as we walked by and a lone canada goose swam along the edge of the water.  Song birds could be heard from the brush.  The soft toot of a Townsend's solitaire let us know that it was in the treetop. 

 

Not all days are high count days at the lake.  This one was not, but the tranquility of the lake and the surrounding habitat made it a most enjoyable walk.    Ginger

Raptor Field Trip - January 23

It was rainy and cold early, but that didn't deter 15 hardy souls from going out to look for raptors.  We covered the usual roads - Frog Hollow, Fredrickson, Stateline, Sandpit and Byrnes.  Red-tailed hawks were very cooperative - we saw 61 of them.  We also saw 17 American kestrels, 9 northern harriers, one rough-legged hawk, one sharp-shinned hawk and one prairie falcon.  Owls were harder to find than usual, but we did see two great horned owls.

It was a good trip and nice to have four Walla Walla University students along.    Ginger

Owls at Bennington Lake

We found four long-eared owls and two great horned owls on our Tuesday morning walk this week.  The lake was full of waterfowl - 200 canada geese, 50 northern pintails, 32 mallards, 21 common mergansers and a green-winged teal.  Although the temperatures were in the 50's, the little birds were much harder to find because of the stiff wind that kept them hunkered down.  Fun to see the owls....  Ginger

Open Water at Bennington Lake

With overnight temperatures near 60 degrees, we anticipated some open water at Bennington Lake for our walk - and we weren't disappointed.  There is still some ice, but much of the lake is open.  The birds were happy too!  There were 24 common mergansers, a lone mallard and 20 some canada geese on the water.  More canada geese flew overhead making a total of 51 geese on or flying over the water.  A lone ring-billed gull also took a look.  The remained of the birds seen or heard were pretty much what has been mentioned in previous weeks.  There was one horned lark at the edge of the fields on the east side, and two American pipits flew over.   Hopefully the water will remain open and we will enjoy more waterfowl in the days to come.    Ginger

Bald Eagle at Bennington Lake today

We saw a beautiful adult bald eagle hunting low over the fields on our walk around the lake this morning. The weather was cold and the lake is still frozen with the exception of one small area.  A great blue heron was at the open water again this week.  We found three great horned owls today and saw two red-tailed hawks and two American kestrels.  Two ravens were making their funny croaking noise as they flew over and there was a northern shrike in the top of one of the trees.  Dark-eyed juncos and black-capped chickadees were plentiful, and a Bewick's wren and a ruby-crowned kinglet followed us as we walked along the trail.  As usual, there were lots of robins and several Townsend's solitaires.  Three common mergansers and a small flock of canada geese flew over looking for open water.  A few goldfinches, house finches, white-crowned sparrows and song sparrows flitted around in the trees.  Red-shafted flickers and black-billed magpies rounded out the morning's sightings.         Ginger