A Day of Birding (mostly)

Left Horn Rapids County Park ~ 10 after a walk around for birding and a shower. A short drive to Pasco WA, on WA240 and US12. Birded at Hood park, on the Snake River, then a mile later at McNary National Wildlife Refuge. I finally had enough of that, and proceeded East on WA124 to just West of Dayton. Camped at Lewis & Clark Trail State Park.

Horn Rapids Park produced a surprise this AM. I thought I had heard a Great Horned Owl as I began wandering around, and 15 minutes later I spotted it perched ~ 50 feet away on a tree branch. Got wonderful views of it. After I moved on I say it fly farther off the trail. I got lucky there for sure.

Hood Park and McNary were sites Patt & I had visited on an Audubon trip last winter. Hood Park was less productive in this season, but is an attractive and open place to camp, although geared for bigger rigs, not tents and bikes. The large grain piles on the ground across the Snake that were covered with tarps had been moved, and there was some interesting barge traffic.

McNary was much more interesting than in the Winter, perhaps because I could spend more time there. I walked the full loop and got a longish bird list (below).

Drive on SR124 was through many wheat fields that have an open, rolling feeling. Some winter wheat, green and knee high, some spring wheat, just sprouting. Long vistas. Some breaks for vineyards and cottonwood groves at stream crossings. Many old barns and outbuildings, remnants of bygone days, when the farming operations were family based, rather than corporate. Some of the buildings were tempting for photography, but the narrow shoulders and limited turnaround space helped me to keep going.

Lewis & Clark Trail State Park is very nice. Not overused, it has large campsites, with privacy between sites afforded by cottonwoods and much shrubbery. The Touchet River is providing a nice sonic backdrop as I finish this.

Birds:

Horn Rapids Co Park: Am. Goldfinch, Starling, Bullock's Oriole, Mourning Dove, Western Meadowlark, Killdeer, Ceadar Waxwing, Am. Robin, Great Horned Owl, California Quail, Song Sparrow, Red Winged Blackbird, Barn Swallow, Song Sparrow.

Hood Park: Canada Goose, Double Creased Cormorant, Am. Robin, Song Sparrow, Spotted Sandpiper.

McNary NWR about noon: Yellow Headed Blackbird, Red Winged Blackbird, Great Blue Heron, Mallard, Canada Goose, Great Egret, Double Crested Cormorant, White Pelican, Song Sparrow, Cinnamon Teal, Black Billed Magpie, Marsh Wren, Mourning Dove, Bullock's Oriole, Violet Green Swallow, Black Crowned Night Heron, Eastern Kingbird.