Happy New Year!

Bright and Early

I actually hit the road around 6 A.M. from Renton, so it was a dark and early start to the year. I had seen that the roads were dicey the day before, and it looked like there would be a break in the weather, so Jan 1 was an early start. Bare and wet roads took me from King County to Kittitas over I 90, and then Highway 97 took me down to Yakima to visit my folks. 

This was a distanced visit, and a fairly brief one, although they did make me a hot meal. My Dad is precisely the person that would have a rough go of it if he got COVID. It's early in the blog, and I've already mentioned it. I'm sure it will pop up here and there, but hopefully this blog doesn't mention it so frequently that it becomes drudgery to read. 

But. . . since we're there. I'm traveling to look at birds during a pandemic. I did want to note that in addition to the usual steps of masks, distancing, and sanitizing (and more of that than ever before), I brought a thermometer along, there to take my temp twice a day, regardless of how I feel.

To Douglas

There are three ways I can get to Douglas County, roughly. I took door number 3. I figure the most logical would be 90 to 97 North, then Highway 2 into Douglas. The next most sensible would be I-5 up to Highway 2. Instead, I took 90 across the Columbia, then up to Douglas through Grant County. 

Couldn't let this one go. Which way is quicker? Here's some food for thought.

First of the year

This dropped me off in the area I wanted to hit first, the ponds around Rock Island. An American Goldfinch (1) started my year off, and a covey of California Quail (2) also scattered from the roadside as I drove to the ponds. 

I'll admit. I stopped and at least looked longingly at the Rock Island Dam, wondering how I could get a view. I couldn't figure it out on the fly, so I just made a note to look into it later. Dams sometimes have some good birds on either side, so it would be worth knowing.

Rock Island 

The town website recognizes these ponds are valuable resources. It was interesting to hear the word "teacup used in reference to the lakes, but a second look at the shape of the town helped make sense of that. Maybe even more like a tea kettle? I don't know, but my first visual impression was that they were oxbow lakes, and it turns out they are. 

Ruddy Ducks at Hammond Lake

Hammond Lake had a good shoulder for roadside viewing. It was a great start, with seven different species of ducks floating around in the pond: Mallard (3), Common Merganser (4), Ruddy Duck (5), Ring-necked Duck (6), Hooded Merganser (7), Lesser Scaup (8), and Common Goldeneye (9). A Great Blue Heron (10) took off when I arrived, and I was surprised to find a Yellow-rumped Warbler (11) in the waterside trees.  They'll be around in higher numbers later in the year, but can be found in winter as well. 

Additional species included Song Sparrow (12), American Kestrel (13), Northern Flicker (14), and four Black-billed Magpies (15), harassing a raptor that I just couldn't identify back towards Highway 28.

Putter's Lake was full of geese, although all of the ones I looked at appeared to be Canada (16). I have minor goose struggles. It's not that I have trouble identifying a Cackling Goose when I'm looking at one. It's that I look at smallish, shorter-necked Canada Geese. . . and I just keep looking at them. . . and squint, and ask questions. They're just smaller Canada Geese. They honestly just always are. This knowledge has yet to save me any time!

Also at the lake were ten Double-crested Cormorants (17), more Hooded Mergansers and Ring-necked Ducks, and House Finches overhead (18). Heading through town from pond to pond gave me a few other species, including Rock Pigeon (19), Eurasian Collared-Dove (20), House Sparrow (21), Common Raven (22), and Eurasian Starlings (23).

Hideaway Lake 

This was a nice stop. I was greeted by White-crowned Sparrows (24) when I arrived, some of them singing. I was told that this was a good spot for sparrows like Fox and Golden-crowned. Although I found neither during my visit, I was convinced that this was the case. There were scads of Song Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos (25), and a couple of Spotted Towhees (26). 

Up in the trees, there were dozens of House Finches, a handful of Northern Flickers, Black-capped Chickadees (27), American Robins (28), a Downy Woodpecker (29), and a Red-tailed Hawk (30).

The Other Frozen Lakes 

Not much to report from the others. In fact. . . come to think of it, even Hideaway was frozen over, but I got distracted by the other good birds. There had been Wood Ducks reported there, so I had hoped to find them. Alas. I did pass a Belted Kingfisher (31) at one of the lakes - I believe it was Blue Heron. 

The Wrong Hydro Park 

Okay, to be clear, there's only one Hydro Park along the Columbia near Rock Island. But as I was headed West and took the first entrance, I had erred. I was here to look for a Peregrine Falcon that had been reported West of the West end of the park, but it turns out I was parked essentially in the middle of the long park. I realized a little late, and Hey! New Year! So I got my steps in. So many steps. . . 

I did eventually turn around after seeing enough poles. Additional birds seen here, included Bufflehead (32), and Killdeer (33). 

Oh! And Ring-necked Ducks and Scaup (sp?) in the back. Just noticed those. American Wigeon (34) and Song Sparrows also present. 

Checking in

I got checked in at the Cedars Inn in East Wenatchee as it was starting to get a little late in the day. This was not only right off of the freeway, but close to a trailhead for the Apple Capital Loop Trail. After a quick nap, it was after 4, and I figured it was a good time to try for a Barred Owl that had been seen over the last month in this little stretch. 

No luck! I added a few birds along the way, Barrow's Goldeneye (35), and Greater Scaup (36) out on the Columbia. As I started back, it was getting a little dark, so I tried calling for Barred as I returned. No luck again!

Owls are always a big part of the start of my years. It's dark for more hours, and I always want to get a lot of birding hours in, so it makes sense to get out and try for some owls. Barred is actually a difficult one. It's a code 4 - reported less than annually. 

I ended the evening with a pint of IPA in the open air seating at the casino next door. A casino, a bar, and a sex shop all a few steps away from each other on this little block. It struck me perhaps more on New Year's Day that this all represented an attack on some resolutions that were best kept. Whatever yours are, best wishes. Goodness, it's hard to step into a conversation about New Years after the 2020 we had! But I think that it's a good year on this big rock when we are the best versions of ourselves, all of these external things notwithstanding. Truly heartfelt best wishes to those of you aiming to make it a good year.