A Cold and Gray Morning

We walked around Bennington Lake this morning.  The lake is still mostly frozen.  There was one spot that was open, and a great blue heron was there looking for food.  We saw two northern shrikes, a great horned owl, several Townsend's solitaires, black-capped chickadees and red-shafted flickers.  Two common mergansers flew over looking for open water.  We watched a downy woodpecker hanging upside down from a rose bush working on a gall.  Dark eyed juncos and robins were plentiful, and there were a few Bewick's wrens and song sparrows.  The house finches and goldfinches have finally left the old sunflower patch - we only saw a dozen or so all morning.  One spotted towhee was in it's usual spot (although it wasn't there on the Christmas count).  A red-tailed hawk and three American kestrels were in the tree tops.  It was a pretty typical winter day at the lake.....  Ginger

A Muddy Walk Around Bennington Lake

The trails were muddy and slick and the lake is still frozen, but we still managed to see some nice birds including a long-eared owl and two northern shrikes.  Robins and dark-eyed juncos were abundant.  16 canada geese and 3 common mergansers flew over the lake, hoping for some open water.  An American kestrel and a red-tailed hawk were the only raptors we could find.  Townsend's solitaires and Bewick's wrens were singing - enjoying the 50 degree weather I'm sure.  It was a good practice run for the Christmas Bird Count on Saturday.     Ginger

Northern Umatilla County Raptor Route

It was a perfect day to go looking for raptors.  Snow covered fields, partly cloudy skies, temperatures just above freezing - all these are conducive to good raptor watching.  Mike and MerryLynn, Rodger and I spent the day counting raptors and came up with a total of 329 hawks and owls.  The breakdown is as follows: 239 red-tailed hawks, 52 American kestrels, 23 northern harriers, 1 sub-adult bald eagle, 1 immature golden eagle, 3 rough-legged hawks, 2 prairie falcons, 2 Cooper's hawks, 1 sharp-shinned hawk, 2 northern goshawks and 3 great horned owls.  Other birds of interest were a northern shrike, 54 wild turkeys, a downy woodpecker, 3 Eurasian collared doves, 4 great blue herons mousing, and numerous quail and pheasants.  We watched 3 coyotes hunting and saw 6 mule deer.       Ginger

Bennington Lake today

Things have settled down on our Tuesday morning walks now that the summer birds are gone.  Because of the low water, there was only one bird on the water today - a mallard.  Three great blue herons and a great egret were joined by three killdeer, a ring-billed gull and a greater yellowlegs on the shoreline. However, a sharp-shinned hawk scared the shorebirds off. Other raptors included a red-tailed hawk, a male northern harrier and a kestrel.  Robins and juncos were plentiful all around the lake. We saw a several Townsend's solitaires, black-capped chickadees, song sparrows, white-crowned sparrows, Bewick's wrens and two ruby-crowned kinglets.    We didn't see any great horned owls today.  There were numerous northern flickers including one yellow-shafted bird, one northern shrike and seven downy woodpeckers.  All in all it was a typical winter day at the lake.  There was no wind, and no rain so it was a very pleasant walk.     Ginger

American Dipper on Mill Creek

On November 3, Pam Fisher sent me a video of an American dipper on Mill Creek near Rooks Park.  On November 5 she saw it again - this time near the Project Office.  Rodger and I found it this morning back by Rooks Park.  It was singing and having a great time in the water.  In addition, in the past three days I have seen nine hooded mergansers and four common mergansers on Mill Creek between the Project Office and Rooks Park.  There are great blue herons, belted kingfishers, American wigeons and mallards along the creek as well.  It's a nice walk and fun to see the birds.   Ginger

Northern Shrikes at Bennington Lake

We saw two northern shrikes on our walk this Tuesday morning.  One was having some sort of altercation with a kestrel and was very noisy.  There was also a merlin hunting finches in the sunflower patch.  On the water were buffleheads, common mergansers, green-winged teal, northern pintails, mallards and a western grebe.  In the mud we saw long-billed dowitchers, killdeer, ring-billed gulls and greater yellowlegs.   A belted kingfisher was patrolling the canal. There were a few Townsend's solitaires, lots of little winter songbirds, several red-shafted flickers and at least four downy woodpeckers.    Another good walk with  36 species seen.       Ginger

Bennington Lake today

 

We saw 3 surf scoters, a pair of bufflehead, a ring-necked duck, and western grebe a greater yellowlegs and 23 long-billed dowitchers on our morning walk today.  Several Townsend's solitaires called from the treetops and an osprey was circling the lake. There were also over 200 robins, large numbers of flickers,  white-crowned sparrows, cedar waxwings and red-winged blackbirds.  Ruby crowned kinglets, Bewick's wrens, juncos, song sparrows, downy woodpeckers, chickadees and yellow-rumped warblers added to the mix.  It was a cold morning, but we beat the rain.   Ginger

 

Bennington Lake today

Many of the winter birds are back!  There were probably 100 white-crowned sparrows singing from every point on the trail.  Juncos were also plentiful.  We saw four Townsend's solitaires, a varied thrush and saw or heard four hermit thrushes.  Not as many shorebirds today - just killdeers, pectoral sandpipers, greater yellowlegs and long-billed dowitchers.  One great egret and a great blue heron were standing elegantly along the edge of the mud, and an osprey flew over. We saw a total of 40 species.

The fall colors are beautiful, from the golden yellow of the cottonwoods to the deep red of the sumac.  Time to get out and take a walk around the lake.   There is construction starting that will limit use of the entire Kingfisher trail, but there is still a good deal of open area.  Ginger 

Bennington Lake

 

Late afternoon on October 4, I walked Bennington Lake with Mike and MerryLynn and Priscilla Dauble. There were 9 great egrets in the cottonwoods in the southeast corner of the lake.  Shorebirds were abundant—56 killdeer, 2 pectoral sandpipers, 10 long-billed dowitchers, 4 greater yellowlegs, and a least sandpiper. There also was a great variety of waterfowl—common mergansers, American wigeons, northern shovelers, lesser scaup, western grebes, mallards, canada geese, green winged teal, northern pintails, a blue winged teal, a pied bill grebe and a ring-necked duck.  It was very windy we saw very few passerines—a few robins, American pipits and flickers.  There was a varied thrush in the trees by the parking lot.        Ginger

The Mud Flats at Bennington Lake

The water level is very low now at Bennington Lake so there is a very big area of exposed mud.  This morning it was full of shorebirds.  We saw 6 pectoral sandpipers, 6 long-billed dowitchers, 2 greater yellowlegs and 9 killdeer.  There were also two great blue herons, a great egret and a white pelican that could be sick because it we watched it get within two feet of a couple fishermen on the bank.  On the water there were 49 canada geese, 5 American wigeons, a ruddy duck and a western grebe.  A few migrating passerines were still around.  Two orange-crowned warblers, a Wilson's warbler, several yellow-rumped warblers and about 20 American pipits.  There were black-capped chickadees, house finches, white-crowned sparrows, juncos and song sparrows along the trail, 4 downy woodpeckers and several northern flickers.  Because of the low water levels, there could be more shorebirds coming in during the next few weeks.  They are close enough to see from the parking lot with binoculars, although a scope really allows you to get a closer look.   Ginger

Hawk Watch Field Trip Results

Thirteen Blue Mountain Audubon members, 4 Pendleton Bird Club members and a couple from Lower Columbia Audubon in the Tri-Cities spent the morning on Bald Mountain searching for migrating hawks.  It was the first time we have tried a hawk watch, and I was pleasantly surprised with the results - we saw 39 raptors in less than four hours.  There were also numerous red-crossbills, yellow-rumped warblers, pine siskins, robins, Steller's jays, a few mountain chickadees and an assortment of other mountain birds.  Here is the breakdown of the raptors seen:

    American kestrel - 3

    Sharp-shinned hawk - 4

    Cooper's hawk - 8

    Accipiter species - 1

    Red-tailed hawk - 12

    Buteo species - 4

    Turkey vulture - 8

Thanks to all of those folks with good eyes who could identify the little black specks in the sky!     Ginger

Bennington Lake - September 8

 

A study of skill and luck.  There were numerous migrants on our Tuesday morning walk, but they weren't easy to see.  All of you who know MerryLynn Denny know that she is an excellent birder, and that she birds by ear.  Two examples from our walk:  #1 Carolyn Corvino and I were busy watching four flickers harassing a great horned owl.  MerryLynn was looking and listening for migrants.  She found a large feeding flock of warblers - yellow, yellow-rumped, orange-crowned, Wilson's and MacGillivray's and watched them for several minutes.  She found us and told us about the flock so we hurried over — only to find all the birds gone! #2 Driving out of the parking lot MerryLynn heard a rock wren.  Carolyn and I again hurried to the spot, and once again the bird was gone.  Skill on MerryLynn's part but also luck at being in the right place at the right time.  It takes both to find birds—I had neither that morning!  We did see some shorebirds in the mud along the canal—2 greater yellowlegs, a semi-palmated plover, 2 western and 2 least sandpipers, 2 spotted sandpipers and several killdeer.  Other nice birds seen were a black-crowned night heron, 2 ruddy ducks and a white pelican.   Ginger

 

 

 

Bennington Lake - Birds on the Move

Migration is under way at Bennington Lake.  We saw a red-naped sapsucker, a hairy woodpecker, two western tanagers a Wilson's warbler and a solitary sandpiper.  These are all birds that are moving through (or coming back in case of the hairy woodpecker).  Some of the birds are scarce now - Bullock's oriole and western kingbird.  There are more barn swallows over the lake and Vaux's swift numbers have increased - we saw over 50 on Tuesday.  Finches are abundant in the sunflower patches.  The Bewick's wrens are starting to sing again and we saw plenty of juvenile house wrens.  Because the lake is being drained there will be more mud each week.  That could mean there will be migrating shorebirds, so watch for them.  It will be interesting to see what birds we see at the lake with the change in the water levels.  There probably won't be as much waterfowl in October as usual, but those that do visit will be concentrated and easier to see.  I'll keep you posted.     Ginger

Blue Mountain Audubon Field Trip - Mountain Birding

Mike and MerryLynn Denny took 10 of us up Jasper Mountain today to look for birds on the move.  The cool/sunny weather was perfect - a nice change from the 100+ degree days we've been having.  We saw 59 species including some surprises.  The biggest surprise was finding a solitary sandpiper at a mud hole high in the mountains.  There were pygmy nuthatches at another water hole near our bluebird boxes along with western and mountain bluebirds.  We saw 10 species of flycatchers!  western wood peewee, olive-sided flycatcher, willow flycatcher, Hammond's flycatcher, dusky flycatcher, least flycatcher, western flycatcher, gray flycatcher, eastern kingbird and western kingbird. WOW!  We saw MacGillivray's, Wilson's, orange-crowned, Townsend's, yellow rumped and yellow warblers.  Red crossbills, chestnut backed chickadees, turkey vultures  - the list goes on.....  A great trip!

 

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.

Bennington Lake today

It's warming up and the birds were very active.  We watched several young birds being fed by parents - downy woodpecker, flicker,and western wood peewee.  Unfortunately we also saw a young cowbird being fed by a yellow warbler.  Young chickadees and house wrens were busy scurrying around while their parents fussed at us.  Yellow breasted chats were very visible and noisy. Western wood peewees, Bullock's orioles, black-headed grosbeaks and yellow warblers added to the chorus.  One young great horned owl was on a snag in the canal and an adult was in a tree nearby.  We saw no waterfowl today.  In past years we have had goslings and ducklings but evidently they nested someplace else this year.

 

When the weather gets hot the birds are active early morning and evening, so if you plan to walk the lake in July I recommend you go early or late in the evening.    Ginger

Wildflower Field Trip

Priscilla Dauble and Laura Meier took us into the Blue Mountains around Tollgate and on Summit Road to look at wildflowers.  Wild onion, penstimens, camus, larkspur, golden pea, and lupine were plentiful.  We found big headed clover on Summit Road and elephant head figwort at Target Meadows.  We saw over 75 species of wildflowers and shrubs.  The end of the trip was highlighted by a walk in the woods at Jeff Fredson's place on Weston Mountain where he showed us mountain lady slippers, a phantom orchid and coral root.  Although this was a "plant" trip, we did take our binoculars along and saw some nice birds including western and mountain bluebirds, Townsend's warblers, olive-sided flycatchers, chipping sparrows and a turkey vulture.

 

It was a beautiful day in the mountains.  Gorgeous wildflowers, spectacular scenery, the fresh smell of the woods, and good company - what more could anyone ask for!        

Ginger

Some June sightings from members

Several people called or emailed with interesting birds the past month. 

*Dave Forsyth has a downy woodpecker nesting in his yard

*Melissa Webster found a hummingbird nest along the Mill Creek trail just west of Rooks Park

*Robson Newbold reported a lesser goldfinch at his feeder. 

  He also saw a Virginia rail at McNary NWR Headquarters in Burbank

*Pam Fisher sent a photo of a black-crowned night heron on Mill Creek near Rooks Park.

 

Let me know what you seeing and I will post it on the website this summer.

Ginger

Bennington Lake Evening Walk

Eleven people enjoyed a leisurely walk at Bennington Lake Thursday evening.  The great horned owl chicks were sitting in the open along the canal begging for food.  Gray catbirds were very vocal and easy to see, as well as a yellow-breasted chat, western wood peewees, willow flycatchers, Bullock's orioles, cedar waxwings and black-headed grosbeaks.  Yellow warblers and house wrens were abundant.  A pair of downy woodpeckers were feeding young and there were recently fledged tree swallows on a branch being fed by their parents.  Mike Denny led the group and pointed out various plants along the way, explaining their importance and sometimes their determent to the wildlife.  Poison hemlock is very high right now so the trail was a little hard to walk through in spots.  However, it has been cut back so the trail is at least visible.  On Tuesday it was a real jungle!

It was a good outing.  We will be doing another evening walk the third Thursday of July - this time to Coppei Creek.  Hopefully you can join us.     Ginger

Field Trip - Burbank Heights HMU and More

Mike and MerryLynn Denny took us over to a little known birding spot in Burbank Heights along the Snake River.  There is a large riparian area on the river that was loaded with Bullock's orioles, black-headed grosbeaks, lazuli buntings and red-winged blackbirds.  In the dense trees we found a long-eared owl, and flushed a barn owl.  Away from the river is a beautiful stand of big sage, native rye grass and a variety of desert native plants.  After lunch at Hood Park we drove to Tyson Ponds and watched the Wilson's phalaropes, black-necked stilts and avocets.  We also saw blue-winged teal, cinnamon teal, redhead and a variety of other waterfowl.  On Northshore Road at the millet pond we saw a willet, three Bonaparte's gulls and several black-crowned night herons.  Our last stop was on Hatch Grade where we saw a grasshopper sparrow.  Mike pointed out many of the native plants, butterflies and other insects along the way making it a very interesting and educational field trip.     Ginger

Jasper Mountain

On the way up Jasper Mt. this morning the first bluebird box has Mountain Bluebirds in it. There are at least 6 Western Bluebirds nesting in others with 2 families fledged. Two of the boxes have nesting Tree Swallows in them.

From the "T" to the left is a pair of Red-naped Sapsuckers nesting in a tall snag - the hole they nested in last year is hosting Western Bluebirds. There were Hermit and Swainson's Thrush singing, lots of Western Tanagers, Lazuli Buntings, Townsend's, Orange-crowned, MacGillivray's and Yellow-rumped Warblers. Flycatchers included Western Wood-Pewee, Dusky and Hammond's.

Calliope Hummingbirds are common. Woodpecker numbers are way down this year with only a pair of Flickers and one far-off Hairy heard. Chipping and Song Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos are feeding young.
MerryLynn

Young birds at Bennington Lake

The birds were all out singing at the lake on Tuesday morning after the weekend rains.  Some of the birds that live there all year were feeding young - black capped chickadees, downy woodpeckers, robins and flickers.  The two young great horned owls were sitting on a snag along the canal squawking for food.  We found young tree swallows - the first of the summer birds to bring off young.  A yellow-breasted chat was displaying and we found a western wood peewee on a nest.  It won't be long before there are young birds all around the lake. Some of the other birds we saw were Bullock's orioles, eastern kingbirds, gray catbirds, black-headed grosbeaks, yellow warblers and house wrens.   A Forster's tern was hunting over the lake and there were two ruddy ducks on the water.  Another good morning at Bennington Lake with 47 species recorded.  Ginger

Green Tailed Towhee on Lewis Peak

MerryLynn and I drove up Lewis Peak Road this morning in search of the green tailed towhee that was found there last June.  It was there in the same spot - singing and showing off for us.  What a treat!  There were birds singing everywhere we went, but some like ruby-crowned kinglets, orange-crowned warblers and Townsend's warblers were hard to see.  We heard both hermit and Swainson's thrushes, and had a Swainson's come out on a shrub about three feet from the car.  Hammond's and dusky flycatchers were plentiful and MacGillivray's warblers were surprisingly easy to see. There was a huge flock of red-crossbills that flew back and forth along the top while we were watching the towhee. Woodpeckers were scarce, but we did see one red-naped sapsucker, one hairy woodpecker and a couple flickers.  It was a beautiful morning and reminded me of how lucky we are to have the Blue Mountains in our backyard.   Ginger

Summer Birds Field Trip

Twelve of us enjoyed a very warm morning of birding along Foster Road and South Fork Russell Creek Road today.  Gray catbirds were out singing all along Foster Road.  We also saw yellow-breasted chats, all three hummingbirds - rufous, calliope and black-chinned, western wood peewees, willow flycatchers, house wrens, yellow warblers, lazuli buntings, western tanagers, Bullock's orioles, black-headed grosbeaks and much more.  A western flycatcher was in a tree along S. Fork Russell Creek - just where the Corvinos saw it a week ago.  And we saw two Say's phoebe chicks sitting on a fence railing waiting to be fed. The only birds to elude us were the warbling vireo and the veery.  We heard both of them, but weren't able to actually see the birds.  It was a great outing, and even though we started at 7:00 a.m. it was very hot by the time we called it quits at noon.  The birds had quieted down and it was time to head for the shade!   Thanks to all who joined me this morning.   Ginger

Natural Area - A Cacophony of Sound

Rodger and I walked the Natural Area this morning.  Birds were singing everywhere - and with a little patience we were able to see the following:

 

flicker                red-winged blackbird        song sparrow

cowbird             Brewer's blackbird            MacGillivray's warbler

Bewick's wren    cedar waxwing                 yellow warbler

house wren        Bullock's oriole                yellow-breasted chat

gray catbird       black-headed grosbeak    great horned owl (one adult, one chick)

robin                 red-tailed hawk                black-chinned hummingbird

lazuli bunting     magpie                            warbling vireo

goldfinch           western wood peewee      mallard

 

It was fun to see all the summer birds.

Ginger

 

Willet and White-faced Ibis

Late evening May 27 Mike and MerryLynn found a Willet at the overlook pond
just east of Wallula Junction and 2 White-faced Ibis on the Walla Walla
River Delta. One Ibis was at the millet field on Northshore Drive but flew
off - probably to the delta. There were also Blue-winged and Cinnamon Teal
and the first Common Nighthawks of the year were migrating north over the
delta.
..................................................................................
Mike and MerryLynn Denny
Birding the beautiful Walla Walla Valley

If you have not birded, you have not lived

Jasper Mountain Road

Joe and Carolyn joined Rodger and I this morning for a trip up Jasper Mountain.  In the deciduous trees we found western wood peewees, yellow warblers, Bullock's orioles and black-headed grosbeaks.  A little further up in the riparian areas we found western tanagers, willow flycatchers, house wrens, and MacGillivray's warblers.  There were six western bluebirds by the boxes and also two pairs of tree swallows.  At the "T" we found Hammond's flycatchers, yellow-rumped warblers, a hairy woodpecker, and a Say's phoebe.  Chipping sparrows and robins were abundant and we also saw a Savannah sparrow.  We heard a hermit thrush singing - a definite sound of summer!  We identified several other birds by their songs but didn't see them. We didn't find any red-naped sapsuckers or black-backed woodpeckers, but hopefully we will the next trip.  It was a beautiful morning and so nice to get up into the woods.  Traffic was pretty heavy with rigs coming down after spending the long weekend in the mountains.

Ginger

Bennington Lake today

We saw an eastern kingbird on the northeast side of the trail just before you cross the creek.  Bullock's orioles can be heard and seen all around the lake in the cottonwoods.  There were several western wood peewees on the west side of the canal and we heard five yellow-breasted chats along the canal.  One was sitting in the top of a tree for great looks.  Western tanagers were moving through.  We saw several bright males and heard many more.  There are a pair of spotted sandpipers now at the south end of the lake.  Yellow warblers, lazuli buntings and house wrens continue to be around in abundance. Along the lower trail north of the parking lot, we saw two MacGillivray's warblers and a Wilson's warbler.  We saw 15 rough-winged swallows today - a very high number.  There were also many cliff swallows and there are  tree swallows around all the boxes.  Very birdy day!     Ginger

Lazuli Bunting invasion

In case you haven't heard - the Walla Walla Valley is full of lazuli buntings!  I have had numerous people let me know that they have large numbers of them in their yards.  If you haven't seen them in your yard yet, go outside and take a closer look - they is probably at least one in the trees or under your feeder eating seeds with the finches and sparrows. 

 

Also, evening grosbeaks have been reported for the past two or three weeks.  Hopefully you have had them in your yard.

 

Finally, there have been two Lewis' woodpecker sightings in the area.  They are moving through, but keep a lookout for them.   Ginger

Bennington Lake

More new arrivals today - western wood peewee, warbling vireo, black-headed grosbeak, McGillivray's warbler, Wilson's warbler and Nashville warbler.  We also saw three flycatcher species - dusky, Hammond's and least. There continue to be many house wrens and yellow warblers....and swallows (rough-winged, violet green, cliff and tree).  Noisy western kingbirds and Bullock's orioles could be heard in several locations and lazuli buntings sang from the treetops. The young northern saw-whet owl is still hiding in the cottonwoods and the two young great horned owls were sitting in a tree along the canal.  Finally, a pair of red-breasted nuthatches may be nesting along the west side trail.  Not the type of habitat where you would normally find nuthatches.  I love spring!  Ginger

 

 

Bennington Lake

It was a busy weekend at the lake.  Jon Lundak found a young northern saw-whet owl in a nest hole along the lake.  Later Mike Denny located a fledgling in a tree near the nest.  These little owls are very hard to discover because they hide so well in the brush.  There were also lazuli buntings, Bullock's orioles, spotted sandpipers, a yellow-breasted chat, and three killdeer chicks with their parents on the trail at the south end.  On the water were ruddy ducks, bufflehead and a pied-billed grebe.  We had a report of a Lewis' woodpecker and the great horned owl chicks are now fledged and sitting in the cottonwoods. There were tons of people enjoying the lake as well, many of them fishing.  Of course there was an osprey fishing too.  Yellow warblers and house wrens can be heard all around the lake.  There are more summer nesters still to arrive, so stay tuned.....   Ginger

Bennington Lake

It was raining this morning, but we walked anyhow.  Once the rain stopped the birds came out so it ended up being a fairly productive morning.  A spotted sandpiper has returned - we usually have two pairs of them that nest at the lake.  Western kingbirds and house wrens were abundant and noisy.  Yellow warblers were singing.  Other warblers seen were orange-crowned and yellow-rumped.  There were three osprey today and a nice variety of waterfowl species including bufflehead, northern shoveler and western grebe.  Swallows were everywhere - mostly cliff and tree.  We did see two pairs of northern rough-winged swallows - one pair along and canal and another pair at the parking lot.  These are their usual nesting sites.  Only one young great horned owl was present today in the parking lot and it was out of the hole on the bank.  A turkey vulture flew over the fields to the east and a sharp-shinned hawk chased a flock of goldfinches in the parking lot.   We're still waiting for the orioles......   Ginger

Bluebird Field Trip

 

May 2 was Tom Scribner's Bluebird Field Trip to check on the boxes south of Pomeroy.  Unfortunately it rained much of the day, but Tom still checked about 40 boxes (while the rest of us watched from inside our vehicles).  We saw 50 mountain bluebirds and 4 western bluebirds.  Six of the nests had eggs in them already and only two boxes had no nesting material in them.  Earlier in the trip near Waitsburg we saw great horned owl chicks and two heron rookeries.  Other notable sightings were a hairy woodpecker, a western kingbird and several vesper sparrows.

 

Bennington Lake today

It was a very "birdy" day today at the lake.  There was a wide variety of waterfowl including ruddy ducks, scaup, ring-necked ducks, redheads, a cinnamon teal and a blue-winged teal.  A black-necked stilt was flying around looking for some mud and two osprey were fishing.  Swallows were abundant - cliff, violet green and tree.  There were also a couple barn swallows and two Vaux's swifts.  Western kingbirds were chattering in all the trees - we saw at least 20.  A Say's phoebe was calling from a snag. We heard a Lazuli bunting and Hammond's flycatchers in the brush plus a few yellow warblers and house wrens.  Calliope hummingbirds were displaying. Ruby-crowned kinglets were singing and one of them was fussing at red-breasted nuthatch.  We saw and heard 52 species.

The biggest treat of the morning was several singing coyotes.  They serenaded us several times as we walked around the lake from up on the east side.  We should have more summer birds by next week so stay tuned..... Ginger

Bennington Lake

Things are picking up at Bennington Lake.  Jon Lundak saw a calliope hummingbird a black-necked stilt and a Nashville warbler there on April 19.  On our weekly walk, April 21, we saw several yellow-rumped warblers in bright breeding plumage, a western kingbird, a greater yellowlegs, two osprey, 12 bufflehead and 4 redheads with the more common waterfowl, and heard a house wren.  Every week now more birds will be returning.  It's an exciting time at the lake.  The water was rushing over the spillway that we affectionately call "Cayuse Falls".  We waded through it and got our feet wet, but it felt good after the hot walk on the east side of the lake.  One of the great horned owl chicks apparently fell out of the nest in the parking lot, but it has crawled into a lower hole and appears to be doing fine.  One of the parents keeps watch over both of the chicks from the cottonwoods nearby.

Ginger

Avocets and Stilts

MerryLynn and I drove over to the west side of the county this morning to look for shorebirds.  There were American avocets at the overlook pond just before Wallula Junction, and also at the Walla Walla River Delta.  There were black-necked stilts at the east end of the millet ponds on Northshore Road.  We also saw a cinnamon teal at the Wallula overlook pond, a long-billed curlew at the Delta along with several Caspian terns and a large flock of dunlin. There were 13 Eurasian wigeons at Tyson ponds.  Finally, there are a pair of osprey building a nest along Highway 12 just before the new wine facility east of Lowden.

Things are picking up!  Ginger

Bennington Lake Turkey Vulture

We had a few different birds this morning on our walk including a turkey vulture that circled the lake and then spiraled up and off to the northeast.  Also, the tree swallows are back. Listed below are the interesting birds seen today.  It only gets better now, so get out there and enjoy the birds!  Ginger

 

Turkey vulture - 1

Osprey - 1

Caspian tern - 2

Double-crested cormorant - 3

Great horned owl - 6 (4 were chicks)

Hairy woodpecker - 1

Tree swallow - 6

Say's phoebe - 1

Spotted towhee - 1

 

Osprey at Bennington Lake

Today on our weekly walk (which was delayed one day because of the rain and wind yesterday) we were very excited to see a beautiful osprey flying over the lake.  This is the first one reported in the area this spring - and a welcome sight for sure.  It was cold and windy so the birds were hunkered down.  We did find an adult northern shrike and two Townsend's solitaires that evidently decided it's too cold to head for their summer homes.  No tree swallows at the lake yet, but they are back in the valley so we expect them soon.    Ginger 

Bennington Lake Bluebirds

This morning on our weekly walk we saw both mountain and western bluebirds.  The mountain bluebirds were too far away to get a good look, but the western bluebirds were right along the canal where we cross the cement.  There was an adult bald eagle on the edge of the lake and a northern shrike on the far west side.  The Townsend's solitaires, robins and Bewick's wrens were all singing. There were two canvasbacks in with the common mergansers on the lake.  Other waterfowl were green winged teals and American wigeons.  The great horned owl is still in the hole at the parking lot.  Killdeer are back but we didn't see any swallows yet.

Every week should bring in more birds so get out there if you have a chance.

Ginger

Great Grey Owl at Bennington Lake

On our Bennington Lake walk today we re-found the great grey owl that Jon Lundak and Mary-Eileen Gallagher found there on February 1.  It was a foggy, cold morning so birding was slow.  However, we did see a pair of great horned owls, a varied thrush, and a few common mergansers on the partially frozen water.

If you want more information on the great grey owl, please email me housewren@blumtn.org

Ginger

Milton-Freewater Raptor Route

The Dennys and the Shoemakes drove our 100 mile raptor route east, south and west of Milton-Freewater on Sunday, January 18.  Fog conditions were much better for observing birds. However most of the raptors seen were perched or on the ground.  We found our first pygmy owl of the count - the highlight of the trip.  Here are the results:

    Red-tailed hawk - 189

    American kestrel - 27

    Northern harrier - 1 (lowest number in four years)

    Bald eagle - 1 (adult)

    Rough-legged hawk - 2

    Ferruginous hawk - 3

    Prairie falcon - 1

    Cooper's hawk - 2

    Northern pygmy owl - 1

Other interesting sightings were 1 northern shrike, about 35 wild turkeys, and only one great blue heron.

Ginger

Pine Grosbeaks

MerryLynn Denny, Priscilla Dauble and I hiked up North Coppei Creek Road on January 14 to try to relocate pine grosbeaks that MerryLynn found near the top two days earlier.  We found 9 of them calling and eating the shriveled remains of the fruit on an elderberry bush.  They remained within sight for quite a while as we began walking back down toward the car . Also on the downhill hike we saw a pygmy owl, and four chestnut backed chickadees.  The road was still covered with snow in places but with careful footing it was walkable.  The sky was clear and the air was crisp - nice to be out of the fog.

Ginger

Bennington Lake

After rain, wind  and a closed gate kept us away, several of us finally walked Bennington Lake on Friday. The water is once again open and very low - raging Mill Creek is not being diverted into the lake at this time. There were 50 plus common mergansers on the lake and over 60 canada geese.  Both Bohemian and cedar waxwings were found in the junipers and we saw three great horned owls.  We were surprised at the lack of small birds since it was a sunny, fairly calm day.  A few Townsend's solitaires tooted from the trees and one northern shrike was seen in a far away tree.  Robin numbers were high and there were two great blue herons in the mud.  Hawks seen were red-tailed hawk, northern harrier and American kestrel.  Twenty three deer were munching on the new wheat in the fields east of the lake.  Ginger