Tag: Walla Walla Birding

SE WA Trip with Ken Brown and a Day with Mike Denny

Female Bullock’s Oriole on Bateman Island, Day 1.

South Eastern Washington is the part of our state that I have visited the least. Most of western Washington is just a long day trip or an easy overnight trip. Ken led class trips to the North East and north central areas regularly, and most of the Columbia Basin in central WA is both accessible in a day or two, or on the way to other areas, so I feel like I’ve been to most of the top birding areas in other parts of WA. To get to the Southeast of the state is a long drive, and for some reason is not an area I’ve birded much.
This past weekend Ken Brown and I decided it was time to break with our pattern of staying near home during the pandemic, and headed to Walla Walla county, with the bird that has eluded me in the state despite lots of attempts in the Okanogan area, Great Gray Owl as the big prize. We had the advantage of arranging to meet Mike Denny, part of one of the top birding couples, WA and the person to show us birds in Walla Walla county.
American Avocet at the Millet Ponds, Day 1

On the trip over Ken and I stopped at Bateman Island in Benton County, the Blood Tyson Ponds, and at the Millet Ponds after a detour to try for and not see the Least Tern seen the day prior from the 520 bridge in Seattle. Top birds for the trip over were Gray Catbird (FOY for both of us) along with lots of singing Yellow-breasted Chats at Bateman Island, nesting Barn Owls just past the Blood Ponds, and Eastern Kingbird, several Black-crowned Night Herons and lots of mosquitos at the Millet Ponds.
Gray Catbird Bateman Island, Day 1

Another first for us in the pandemic time was a hotel in Walla Walla. The experience was quite good, with easy “no-touch” check-in, a clean room, and we felt pretty safe with the experience.
Mike Denny

The highlight of the trip, by far, was the day with Mike Denny. He met us at the hotel at 7:30 AM, leaving us thinking it might be a low-key day, not getting up too early. We birded Coppei Creek, with lots of Gray Catbirds, chats, and singing Veery. It was a great start to the day, and Mike told us the story of the conservation of that area, just the first of many incredibly educational and interesting stories of the area we enjoyed throughout the day.
A species of snake, a “Racer” of some variety, that Mike managed to get to move from the middle of the road to directly underneath his vehicle.

Next was up Jasper Mountain Road, with several stops looking for Green Towhee, a stop looking for Great Gray Owls, and generally good birding. After a while we came to an area Mike knows for its nesting Great Gray Owls. The young have fledged already, and Ken and I ware concerned we might not find them nearby. Mike remained confident, and after a bit of walking, Mike giving us lessons about owl scree (the young incompletely digest their swallowed-whole prey, so the scree has prey parts in the urea, whereas the adults scree is all white urea) Ken spotted two owlets tucked into a branch maybe 75 meters into the drainage area beside the road. After photos, a minor victory dance for this first WA sighting for me, Mike suggested we circle around for a better look.
Two of the 3 Great Gray Owl branching young birds that we watched for an hour or so.

We walked back to a side road, got close enough for great looks, but far enough not to crowd the birds, and Mike suggested we just sit and wait for the adult to return. This gave me the idea that this was a perfect time to record the Bird Banter Podcast episode Mike and I hoped to take time out of the day of birding to get done. I got the recorder, and we sat, talked about Walla Walla County birding, GGOWs, and told other stories. It was a blast, and the owls performed nicely to keep us entertained.
One of the owlets with a vole one of the adults delivered so quickly I missed the photo op.

From there we walked the few steps to Columbia County along another road where Ken and I added lots of summer species to our county list. We moved on to Bisquit Ridge, where we finally found a Green-tailed Towhee, along with lots of butterflies and a Green Racer snake that was sunning in the road. We all got good laughs as Mike while trying to shoo it out of the road got the snake to hide under his vehicle. Then while Mike got down to try to get it out it just disappeared. Mike thought it might have climbed up into the engine compartment, and we all looked everywhere for the snake, but it somehow eluded us and hopefully just raced into the shrubs.
Mike searching for the snake in his engine compartment.

Ken and I were ecstatic, and thought the day must be wrapping up, as it was about 5 PM. We drove down the road, and near the end Mike asked us if we wanted to get dinner in town before trying for Ferruginous Hawk in the desert on the other side of the county. I learned that Mike is a fellow vegan, and we settled on Impossible Burgers at Burger King.
Probable first spring Ferruginous Hawk

We spent the rest of the daylight seeing an incredible 13 individual Ferruginous Hawks on at least 3 nests, with at least 6 young on nests. This was by far the most FEHA either Ken or I had ever seen in a day. The entire state population of FEHA may be as low as maybe 40 individual birds, as we are on the far northwest part of their range, and their habitat here has been severely degraded by loss of desert areas to agriculture, and the extirpation of Jackrabbits from the area, one of their historical top prey species.
Mike told us about aspects of FEHA that more resemble eagles than other buteos. They have huge powerful talons, and massive bills like eagles. Check out these photos.
Adult Ferruginous Hawk in a tree right beside the road. Photo taken through open drivers window from passenger seat.

Ferruginous Hawk landing gear up.

Three Ferruginous Hawk young on the nest.

We finished the day chatting and watching a fabulous sunset over Rattlesnake Mountain, before parting ways as Ken and I headed for sleep at a hotel in Umatilla.
Mt Hood from the Balsh Cemetery.

Thursday we decided to come home along the Columbia, with stops for Ash-throated Flycatcher (successful FOY for both of us) and Acorn Woodpecker (no luck) and White-breasted Nuthatch (no luck) near Balsh Road in Klickitat County.
Ash-throated Flycatcher fat the cemetery.

A couple of last stops in Skamania County padded our lists for that county, and led to a comical run-in with a red-neck local who puffed all up and tried to look intimidating as he thought with short pants we looked like the Portland protesters, and asked if we were “queer.” He said he hated birds, wanted to shoot or poison all the birds because they spread blackberry seeds everywhere. It was quite a show to end the trip.
More work to do on Butterfly ID for sure. This from the Balsh Rd area.

Home safely with 11 FOY species for me and I think 12 for Ken. Much thanks to Mike Denny. Be sure to watch for the podcast episode to be published soon.