Black-throated gray warbler at Bennington Lake

There was a beautiful black-throated gray warbler in the willows on the west side of the trail this morning.  What a treat to see since they rarely visit Walla Walla County.  It was cool and windy for our walk, but we saw lots of great birds including a yellow-breasted chat.  There were several western tanagers, black-headed grosbeaks, Bullock's orioles, western wood peewees, lazuli buntings, western and eastern kingbirds, and warbling vireos.  House wrens and Yellow warblers were plentiful, but we also saw Wilson's warblers and heard a orange-crowned warbler.  We got good looks at a Hammond's flycatcher and the canal was full of tree swallows, cliff swallows, northern rough-winged swallows, Vaux's swifts and at least one violet-green swallow.  Seven spotted sandpipers were sitting on a log at the south end of the lake and an osprey patrolled the waters. Good birding!  Ginger