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