TURNBULL NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

April 19, 2008 - The Palouse Audubon field trip to Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge—with participants Tom Fischer, Terry Gray, Diana Jones, David Pierce, Paul and Alice Schroeder, Sarah Walker and her dog Tiekel, and Tom and Diane Weber—left Pullman at 7:15 with the temperature at 32 degrees, a biting cold wind, and a forecast for mixed rain and snow. 73 species total for the day, in Whitman and Spokane counties. If anyone is interested in location of species not noted, please contact me (Diane Weber).

In the scabland areas, especially at Turnbull, grass widows were blooming everywhere, in large patches. Buttercups were numerous, too, and we found many with more than 5 petals. Terry Gray has photos of some of the more unusual ones. Fritillaria pudica (yellow bells) were just beginning to bloom. I saw one balsam plant with flowers at Rock Lake.  Check Terry's website for photos of the trip http://www.flickr.com/photos/terryandchristine/           Diane Weber

THE GREAT BLUEBIRD TRIP

April 5, 2008 - Today 8 of us birded from Clarkston, Washington to approximately 10 miles south of Troy, Oregon on Eden Ridge then returned via Flora and Highway 3 to Clarkston. Below is a list of species seen by county:  Terry Gray

CLARKSTON TO WALLA WALLA (and back)

March 22, 2008 - Fourteen individuals from Palouse Audubon and Canyon Birders traveled from Swallows Park in Clarkston to Rooks Park in Walla Walla with a major stop at the Lewis and Clark Trail State Park.  It was a beautiful day and we saw the following species (listed by county):   Terry Gray

NE NEZ PERCE COUNTY

March 15, 2008 - Altering our original plan to bird the northeastern corner of the county (due to 3 inches of new snow), 7 of us birded the lower elevations in and around Lewiston - Mann Lake, Beaver Grade, Spalding Park, Coyote Gulch, and Central Grade. Below is the list of species observed.    Terry Gray

CLARKSTON TO HOLLEBEKE and BACK

March 1, 2008 - Sixteen of us spent the day birding to Hollebeke HMU (20 miles NE of Pasco off Highway 124) on a beautiful but gusty day. The follow species were observed by county:

*  32 individuals flew over us from south to north into Franklin County. This was a real treat for us since we rarely see this species in Asotin or Nez Perce Counties of Idaho. This was also our last species of the day as we were wrapping up our trip and getting ready to head back to Clarkston.

Terry Gray

FALL 2007 MANN LAKE FIELD TRIPS

Click to view the accumulative species database (2003-2007): 

8/5/07 NOTES - Leader Terry Gray.  This morning six of us birded Mann Lake near Lewiston, Idaho - 56 species were observed. 

8/11/07 NOTES - Leader Terry Gray.  The Black-bellied Plover was still in breading plumage - photos were taken - 56 species were observed. 

8/18/07 NOTES - Leader Terry Gray.  This morning seven of us birded Mann Lake near Lewiston, Idaho - 55 species were identified (a small falcon was seen but not identified).

8/25/07 NOTES - Leader Terry Gray.  Ten of us birded Mann Lake this morning. Yesterday there were American Avocets and Black-neck Stilts that were not observed today.  The lake was being refilled this week and there was little mud and less shore line than past weeks. Most of the shore birds were seen in the non-flooded settling ponds - 46 species were observed.

9/1/07 NOTES - Leader Terry Gray.  There were ten birders at Mann Lake on Saturday - 45 species were observed.

9/8/07 NOTES - Leader Terry Gray.  Seven of us birded Mann Lake on Saturday - 49 species were observed.

9/15/07 NOTES - Leader Terry Gray.  Six of us birded Mann Lake this morning from 8:30 to Noon - 44 species were observed.

9/22/07 NOTES - Leader Terry Gray.  Eight of us birded Mann Lake this Saturday -  39 species were observed.  While birding the lake 57 California Gulls flew around the lake several times and then landed in the lake.  They remained for the rest of the morning. This is the largest number of California Gulls I have seen at this location. A kettle of Red-tailed Hawks (20) birds were soaring just south of the lake and a small kettle of 7 Turkey Vultures were soaring very high and into the clouds above the lake.  The Common Tern was a juvenile bird. 

9/29/07 NOTES - Leader Terry Gray.  This morning 6 of us birded Mann Lake, near Lewiston, Idaho - 40 species were observed. The SABINE'S GULL was a life bird for four in the group.  It appeared to be a juvenile. Photos were take and posted by Terry at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/terryandchristine/  

10/6/07 NOTES - Leader Terry Gray.  There were six birders this morning - 55 species were observed.

10/13/07 NOTES - Leader Terry Gray.  Today 13 of us birded Mann Lake, east of Lewiston, Idaho - 48 species were observed.  The bird of the day was a possible first record as 2 Blue Jays flew from the east end to an apple tree next to the road on the west end of the lake before moving on.

10/20/07 NOTES - Leader Terry Gray.  It was a cool wet morning with light rain and wind. Six of us birded Mann Lake - 37 species were observed.  Also other birds of note: At Kiwanis Park (Black-crowned Night Heron 2 one adult and one juvenile); on the Clearwater River at Terminal 2 (14- Western Grebe, a CLARK'S GREBE - bird was across the river and its was easy to identify due to its bright YELLOW bill and obvious white above the eye, 150- Wood Duck - all males at first light; Highway 95 from Moscow to Lewiston (many Red-tailed Hawks with 7 hunting together at the top of Reisenauer Hill).

10/27/07 NOTES - Leader Terry Gray.  Ten of us birded Mann Lake this morning - 52 species were observed. It was a very cool morning with frost on the ground. A Trumpeter Swan was at the lake when everyone arrived and about a half hour later 16 Tundra Swans landed. The Trumpeter Swan flew away shortly after the Tundra Swans arrived. 15 minutes later the Tundra Swans few south after getting a long drink. Also about one mile east of the lake a Northern Shrike was observed by one of the birders coming to bird the lake from the east.  

Beginning on August 4th, and continuing each Saturday morning through October, this was the last fall migration field trip to Mann Lake for 2007.  It has been a good year with 34 people participating and 132 species observed.. 

Click to view species seen since August 5