Full disclosure. I tried for November 2nd. Daylight savings made a fool out of me somehow. I had just started a new writing project, and I took that extra hour of sleep - ate it right up. I knew I didn't need to pack a lot for this trip. I had no plans to camp. It was just going to be a focused trip where I had hopes of finding bird number 150 in Walla Walla County for the year.
And that, if you're not up to speed, has been the goal. To have a year like that for every one of the 39 counties in Washington State.
So far...
- King County (201 birds - 2010)
- Thurston County (152 - 2012)
- Island County (150 - 2013)
- Kittitas County (151 - 2014)
- Mason County (179 - 2015), including the first blog for these years
- Chelan County (197 - 2016)
- Yakima County and Snohomish County (181, and 179 - 2017)
- Lewis County (169 - 2018), a blog that was lost to life after a nice start
- Pierce County (159 - 2020, unblogged)
- Douglas County (204 - 2021)
- Klickitat County (188 - 2022)
- Clark, Skamania, Cowlitz, and Wahkiakum Counties (152, 151, 151, and 151 - 2023) Yep! "Just to see how that would go". Lovely year. Never doing that again!
- Jefferson and Kitsap Counties (195 and 155) A very unequal effort on these two counties, similar to this year's unequal efforts in Columbia and Walla Walla!
Oh whoops, that was supposed to be a running tally - That's 18 of them above. Columbia became the 19th county complete, earlier this year. And now it was down to one more bird to find in Walla Walla to make it 150.
McNary National Wildlife Refuge (Headquarters)
I'd struck out on a previous trip and set myself up well to strike out on this one - striking out late enough to just arrive at McNary NWR as the sun was getting low. I got to enjoy some Snow Geese and got some nice pictures!
Back across the Snake River to Pasco for the evening. I returned to McNary the next morning, with a few target birds in mind. I got two of them!
Bonaparte's Gulls, by the hundreds, were on the water here - bird 150 for the year in Walla Walla!
I like to have a cushion bird in these years - just in case there's lumping, or as happened in Mason County - an identification correction gets applied. In Mason it was a Glaucous Gull sighting. The bird had been seen and reported by many people, including myself. Better birders than I were able to suss out some signs of hybridization, so that one got taken off of the year list. For me, the cushion bird in Walla Walla was Eared Grebe (151).
Eared Grebes have been a fun bird for me in the last year or two. So often, I'm relying on breeding plumage birds to have some certainty about identifying the birds as Horned or Eared. But I got into the weeds on a bird last year in Jefferson County. After some help from an eBird reviewer, I finally got dialed in on bill shape. The bird on the left here is showing it pretty well - the bottom half of the bill is tapered more at the end, giving a false-impression of an upward-turned bill. Other things point to Eared as well, of course, most notably the peak of the head being so far forward, and the compact build of the bird. Some of those can change - and I watched them change as the birds moved around, stretched out their necks etc. But the bill shape is fairly bulletproof. Kind of these bird to wander in so close!
And now... it was like 8 or 9 AM, and I only had to get to Yakima by day's end to spend some time with Mom. I'd kind of planned on a relentless search for these two birds. Running right up against sunset if needed! But I had time for other things now. So, I set off for Columbia County!
The Snake River
Most of the interesting opportunities for me lay along the Snake River. Water birds, naturally, but even the off chance of picking up a Golden-crowned Sparrow, or something along those lines, was possible in the shrubby bits found in most of the parks along the way.
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| There was no sign |
I tried the Lyons Ferry KOA first. The waters on the Columbia side were sadly empty, although I could see gulls lined up at a park on the far side. I made the decision to cross the river - not for the gulls, but for a chance to get the "Welcome to Columbia County" sign on the bridge. As I was crossing, the gull roost emptied - the birds flying past me in the other direction, swirling around on the Columbia side of the river before returning.
I pulled in at Lyons Ferry State Park to get a closer look at the gulls and found the ones I'd hoped to find - Bonaparte's Gulls! 158 for my Columbia County year.
And this is the kind of stuff that county birders love to have stories about - the bird that flew over the county line. It's a little silly, but in other ways it's not! Defining county borders naturally makes some birds easier and some birds harder. And it becomes most interesting around the borders. What birds are often seen just across those lines, and can you catch them wandering? So, on this day, Franklin County donated a Bonaparte's Gull to Columbia for me.
I made a stop at Tucannon HMU - just to the parking lot. The weather was not uncooperative at all, but I wasn't really prepared to make the hike to the mouth that I'd done several times during the year. From the little parking area, I poked around in all directions, just hoping to see a little bit further down the winding Tucannon, with hopes of finding a Northern Shoveler or five poking around on the shores. I had dreams of kayaking in Columbia this year, but the income-expenditures battle needed to have the front lines move in the right direction.
So, I left to head up the highway and take the road to Little Goose Dam. The Columbia here had some Canada Geese, some Western Grebes (a code 3 bird that might have been exciting at the start of the year!), and then I got an interesting goose in a flock flying overhead:
How appropriate, on the road to Little Goose Dam! That little goose was so backlit. I think I've mentioned this before, but I'll say it again: There are times where there are very short windows of opportunity with a bird. And we have to figure out what to point at it. I did point the binoculars at it briefly, and my brain (which wanted a Snow Goose) told me it was a lightly colored bird. . . But I figured it was time to start shooting pictures fast.
All of these birds are lightly colored underneath. Canada Geese are, and Cackling Geese are, all in all. I didn't get an ID on it until I'd gotten home and reaaaally adjusted the lighting in the photo. No dark wingtips, and even the shape of the wingtips pointed more towards Cackling Goose than Snow. Good bit of excitement, anyway! In The Big Year, Jack Black does a dive and roll to get a picture of a Western Tanager. I've often pfffft'ed during that scene. No experienced birder would do that just to get a Western Tanager in the ABA region.
But a Snow Goose in Columbia County? Maybe. Maybe.
Texas Rapids HMU is one of the first stops along the Snake. More of the same birds out in the river.
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Western Grebe.
I think I've been focused on the bill color, but who could tell carrot/banana in this light?
For a grebe to get a closer look and consideration for Clark's Grebe,
I'm looking for much lighter flanks. |
There were more gulls out on the water as well. I think at this point, my targets had gotten pretty specific: Look for gulls with light primaries (Glaucous-winged Gull), or birds with very dark mantles (Western Gull), or. . . just look really closely at any other pictures of roosting gulls for a possible Iceland Gull. I am still not at a point where I am likely to pull out any of those species while looking at immature gulls. Some day? Someday!
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| California Gull |
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| Little Goose Dam |
At the dam itself, I had some nice opportunities to watch gulls in flight, much closer than I'd had them on previous visits. None of them had features that pushed me to focus more on a particular gull. Dark primaries, but none with particularly dark mantles. Most of the gulls I saw were pretty easy to sort into Herring, Ring-billed, and California. . . and then there were the ones I overlooked!
This picture shows a gull with light primaries. It could have been a Glaucous-winged Gull, and could have been a hybrid, but identification would have required a better look at the bill structure and the eye. So, this. . . was a missed opportunity!
The front and center gull has a lot going for it that might point in the direction of an Iceland (Thayer's) Gull. Black primaries and pink legs are easy to see, as is the smudgy head. The iris may be dark? The mantle may also be dark enough to point towards Thayer's, rather than Herring? But the picture quality isn't really enough to clearly see those two features. A better birder than I took a look at this and noted that the "underside of the far primary is black", which points to Herring. I'm struggling a little to read topside/underside from the pic, but. . . again, the picture is NOT pointing clearly enough away from Herring Gull.
Glad that I at least caught these birds afterwards, but it's just another reminder that better diligence, and getting the photography dialed in a bit better would both serve me well!
The end of the line?
I took the road all the way to the end. Little Goose Landing is a boat ramp/park that I've visited several times this year. The usual juncos were there to meet me! On the far side of the water, I also caught a Northern Harrier coursing along the riverside in Whitman County. But none of the loons, scoters, or other goodies that I'd dreamed of. I looked longingly down the Columbia and wondered "Maybe I could just go traipsing through this field!" I didn't realize that I was joking, and before I could explain, I came across this sign:
This was clearly a hikable stretch along the Snake! I looked at my map and saw a little cove up ahead that I just might be able to reach! So, I set off past the end of the road, as far as they'd let me walk.
It was a lovely walk. Ring-necked Pheasants, five or six of them, erupted out of the grass at one point. I kept my eyes on the hills, unsure of what a Prairie Falcon would hate about this habitat, and on the Snake, where a single Western Grebe followed me upriver.
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| For the lack of a better name, I might call this Rabbit Hollow Cove |
I finally reached the little cove - hard to tell from any map what source would have carved it out. Rabbit Hollow is one possibility, one of the sometimes streams that trickle ephemerally towards the Snake. As I got closer to this little cove, a dozen or so Canada Geese took flight. Remaining in the water were four Horned Grebes.
These are code 3 birds in the county, and worth the walk by all means. Although the birds themselves weren't new for the year, the water was. I had recognized the value of every calm bit of water like this in the county. There's not a lot of it! So, this little walk would be well-recommended for anyone hunting down waterfowl in Columbia County.
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| Not recommended! This was the actual end of the line. I enjoyed knowing I had found the end. |
Starbuck to Archer Road.
I swung back up towards Highway 12, which took me past Starbuck. I needed absolutely nothing from the town store, except simply to stop there one more time. What an eerie stop!! I walked in and looked for anything in the beverage section or snack section, but the shelves seemed just a little bare. The clerk apologized for the bare shelves and explained that they'd be moving across the street. This... is very cool. The tall brick building across the street clearly used to be a restaurant - Rebecca's Place is still on the door, and a peek through the front window makes it clear that this was a little sit-down place in town.
I'm not sure what name it will be under, but the owners said they'd be moving in during the next months, would start with breakfast and lunch, with dreams of being open for dinner. I started to explain what I was doing for the year, and that I might not catch them post-opening. The guy at the desk chuckled and clarified that he remembered me from a previous trip. Good luck to them! And I really do hope that they sell mugs someday. A coffee mug from Starbuck, Washington... what more could one want?
Up to 12, and I almost turned towards Dayton before remembering - Archer Road!!
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Snake River - visible from the gated end of the public portion of Archer Road.
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I had some Western Meadowlarks singing - what more could one need?
I returned along the road, and I saw a farmer just pulling into a driveway. Naturally I pulled in. I pulled in to ask him about Barn Owls. I look for Barn Owls, perhaps to give me a reason to pull in at farms and chat with people. It's a chicken and egg situation here that I try not to question. No owl, but it was a nice talk. I guess in the end, it was just two guys talking about a beautiful place.
Dayton
It's November... and I was running around mug-less. I'd checked the thrift store in town every time I passed it, but these were desperate times. I went to the Dayton Chamber of Commerce. Three people were in the office, and I got the full list of places to check in town. Additionally, I left my number, just in case anything turned up.
Nada. The closest I got? Over at Dingle's True Value Hardware, I searched the shelves, and then overheard:
"blah blah blah blah and here are the coffee cups blah blah blah"
!!!
The mugs read "True Value". Had it included "Dayton" or "Dingle's", my final box would have been checked for the year.
(Update: I got a text during the following week. A mug is waiting for me...
I made a final check of Pittman Pond on the way out of town, finding a couple more Cackling Geese, mixed in with a large flock of Canadas:
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| Cacklers in the Backlers - the two little guys on the far shore, center and right of center |
Likely another happy second third place!
The record in Columbia County prior to this year was 172. I hate to break it to you folks, but I'm not breaking that record! 158 species has been a lovely year, and I may add a few more when I go to pick up that mug in December, but as it turns out... 172 would not have mattered. Not remotely!
Christopher Lindsey and Jef Blake are two local-ish birders (Walla Walla and Tri-Cities respectively) who found an interest in the question I was asking, "How many birds can a person find in Columbia County in a year?" Matt Bartels had answered that with such a solid number a couple decades back. But with eBird on hand, it makes absolute sense that the record would fall, and even more sense that it would go to locals who could more easily make trips to pull more birds out of the county.
Christopher and Jef also had three other things that helped them push well beyond 172: excellent birding knowledge, good photography skills, and... kayaks! It can't be emphasized enough how many birds are hiding around corners on the Tucannon, or out on New York Island, farther up the Snake. They got out often, had some clearer roads than I did for Boreal Owls, and the totals? 196 for Chris, and 185 for Jef. And counting!
And it's not the first time that county records have been broken when I've set out to do one of these years (I have hesitated to call them "Big Years" because those words are what take my efforts (Gung ho!) and turn them into something else (hellbent)).
To wit:
Mason County - broken by Cara Borre in 2015 in the year I did my first blog on Mason County. She got me by five birds or so, and we got many of them together.
Lewis County - broken by Dalton Spencer in 2018 - the year I tackled Lewis County.
Klickitat County - broken by Sam Holman in 2022
Jefferson County - broken last year by Steve Hampton
I love this and would love to see it continue! I always figure there is some number of birds that is possible during a good year in a county. And these things help to make it happen:
1. A good understanding of the occurrence of birds in the county. I research the bejeezus out of it every year I do these. This has helped me more than anything in finding species.
2. Birding knowledge, birding skill: Never have I ever been the smartest guy in the room with birds. I got started late, I don't have a deep life list, and like.... I plan it out right up to the point of being where good birds are... and pray that the knowledge I've accumulated will be enough! I'm learning more all of the time, but lord it feels glacial sometimes.
3. A willingness to chase. NOPE! Actually... I may bend on this a little during... some year coming up. But in general, I *plan* my trips, rather than letting the birds plan them at the drop of a hat. I miss birds for this.
4. Gear. Working on it... but then why am I still running around with binoculars held together by tape? Great question, Tim. Great question.
5. Location: Do you live in or near the area where the big year is occurring? Well, that helps. :D I don't! These years all involve monthly-ish trips from a distance.
6. Connections/information/gumption/luck - A lot of things to lump together here, but birding with others can add to nearly all of the categories listed above. I do have gumption. I have the ability to gump.
So... yeah, the end goal, the TRUE end goal here is never to try to be the best birder ever in county X. I think I just see what's possible for ME. And sweet baby Jesus...If I can find as many birds as I have in some of these counties, I can guarantee you there are people who can find even more! I just find the pursuit enjoyable, and exponentially more enjoyable when the bug for a certain county is caught.
One... more... trip! :)
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