June 29 - July 12, 2005

• Killer whales have been sighted in large numbers throughout the San Juan Islands.

• More than 100 common yellowthroats were spotted at the Kent Ponds, plus a similar number of savannah sparrows. Beautiful wood ducks are breeding at the ponds, while a good old-fashioned robin was spotted feeding tree frogs to its brood. 

• While there might not be enough sockeye salmon to support fisheries in Lake Washington this summer, there are plenty of the silvery fish streaming over the fish ladder at the Ballard Locks for a good show. Sockeye and chinook salmon are on the move from the saltwater into the Lake Washington system via the locks, and visitors can check on the progress of the fish runs as the salmon move past viewing windows. 

• On Hood Canal, a group of six transient killer whales continue to hold onlookers enthralled as they breach and flap their fins in a long-running aquatic display.

• WDFW biologists recently confirmed successful peregrine falcon nesting at Beacon Rock State Park. This is the tenth year that peregrines have nested at Beacon Rock. Generally considered the world's fastest bird, peregrine falcons use a dive that can exceed 200 mph to knock prey from the sky. Peregrines construct their nests, also called "scrapes" on rock outcroppings and ledges. 

• Biologists also recently completed aerial surveys of bald eagle territories along the lower Columbia River. Each known nesting site was circled to view chicks and determine growth stages. Thirty of the 50 surveyed territories had chicks in them, including four nests with three chicks each.

• WDFW wildlife biologist Steve Zender of Chewelah says July is a good time to enjoy an evening drive on the back roads of northeast Washington to see whitetail deer. "Does are especially busy feeding, because they're nursing fawns that they leave tucked away nearby," he said. "The fawns are not generally out with their mothers yet. Bucks tend to be less wary than in late summer, after their hormone levels rise and they lose their velvet. You'll likely see some mature bucks you won't see come fall." Zender says cool, overcast evenings are best for deer viewing. "Plan your trip for the last hour of daylight in good deer habitat, like the edges of forestland and agricultural areas or streamsides.

• Moose visible from Highway 20 in a swampy area near Sherman Pass in Ferry County can tempt travelers to watch from their vehicles. But Dotts urges viewers to avoid stopping in the middle of the road, especially with large logging trucks or other vehicles that have less braking time.

• One Peregrine falcon nest near Clarkston on the Snake River in Asotin County has produced two young and another on the Columbia River in Walla Walla County might also have two chicks.  The young are not visible, but both adults were observed taking prey into two sites on the cliff, and there's a lot calling back and forth between young and adults.

• Early morning in the Methow Wildlife Area, watch for eastern kingbirds, tree swallows, western meadowlarks and bluebirds, Bullock's orioles, winter and house wrens, and Lazuli buntings in the riparian woodlands and wetlands near Riser Lake. There are also yellow-headed blackbirds, dusky flycatchers, vesper sparrows, red-naped sapsuckers, and lots of different species of warblers in the coniferous forest and riparian areas near Sullivan Pond.

• The Sinlahekin Wildlife Area's many large waterways are now hosting many colorful waterfowl species, including wood duck, cinnamon, blue-winged and green-winged teal, redhead, ring-necked duck, Barrow's goldeneye, bufflehead, hooded and common merganser, red-necked grebes, common loons, and great blue herons.

• Local birders are monitoring the Vredenburgh bluebird nesting box trail, which begins at the end of the pavement on North Wenas Road. Their latest count shows a total of 185 fledglings, 90 nestlings in boxes and six females still incubating eggs. The totals are down compared to past years at this time, perhaps due to an apparent abundance of house wrens challenging bluebirds for possession of about 17 percent of the trail's 132 nest boxes. White-breasted nuthatches have fledged four young from one box and a mountain chickadee has five nestlings in a box. 

• The Fort Simcoe area of the Yakama Indian Reservation has lots of nesting Lewis' woodpeckers. 

• Washington butterfly expert Jim Christensen recently led a Yakima Valley Audubon Society trip up Bethel Ridge in the Cascade Mountains west of Yakima. Despite cool and overcast weather, over 20 species were seen, including anise swallowtail and coronis and calippe fritillaries on Timberwolf Lookout, western white and Milbert's tortoiseshell on Bethel Ridge, western tiger swallowtail at Hause Creek, Sara's orangetip and Edith's checkerspot nearly everywhere, and many others.
  

June 23 - July 6, 2004

• Black-tail deer fawns are beginning to be seen regularly on the Klickitat Wildlife Area. The fawns are getting strong enough to follow their mothers but sometimes get confused and separated from them. WDFW staff members who have fielded calls of concern about apparently-abandoned fawns remind wildlife watchers to keep their distance from baby animals. In nearly all cases, the mothers return for their offspring, and human interference actually diminishes the young animals' odds of survival. 

• Two new peregrine falcon chicks were recently banded at their nest site on the Sunset Highway bridge over Latah Creek in Highbridge Park, just west of downtown Spokane. The peregrine pair can be viewed from the park, flying after swifts and other prey birds and going to and from the nest, which is on a concrete arch of the bridge directly over the creek. Ferguson expects the chicks to fledge at any time.

• For wildlife viewing, WDFW's I-82 Wildlife Area may be just the ticket. The area is actually 17 parcels of property along the Yakima River and Interstate Highway 82 from Union Gap to the Zillah interchange, known most for its seven man-made fishing ponds and three boat launches. The riparian habitat along the river, sloughs, and ponds offers excellent nesting and brooding cover for ducks, geese, herons, shorebirds, pheasant, quail, red-winged blackbirds and many other songbirds. It's also possible to spot deer, coyotes and other critters.

June 25 - July 8, 2003

• Black swifts - more than 100 of them - were seen feeding over the Samish Flats near the intersection of the Bayview-Edison and Samish Island roads, according to a birder checking in to the Tweeters birding website. Another big group was spotted over the Stanwood sewage ponds. In Washington, black swifts nest along seacliffs and near high country waterfalls, while their winter home range is Central America.

• One birder, reporting to the Tweeters website, sighted three pine grosbeaks at Hurricane Ridge and four tufted puffins at Diamond Point Beach. Another counted more than 100 rhinocerous auklets at Point No Point, then proceeded to Foulweather Bluff where he saw three different types of flycatchers - willow, Pacific Slope and olive-sided.

• WDFW Habitat Biologist Mark Schuller reports that a 600-plus acre wetland near Spangle in Spokane County is a good place to see ducks, redwing blackbirds, great blue herons, killdeer, whitetail and mule deer, and even an occasional moose. The property is currently under wetland development by the Natural Resource Conservation Service in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wetland Reserve Program. There is an undeveloped mile-long trail (no motorized vehicles) that can be accessed from Keeney Road, reached by going south on Highway 195 about 8-1/2 miles from I-90, turning right on Washington Road which intersects with Keeney.
  

June 26 - July 9, 2002

• Check out the public access area at the Dungeness River Audubon Center at Railroad Bridge Park, two miles west of the Sequim, for great views of the fast-flowing Dungeness and its many fish and wildlife species. Beachcombers have plenty of opportunities to check out the nearshore marine wildlife during the second week of July, as every day from the 7th through the 12th have great low tides, including a -2.7 tide at 10:44 a.m. on July 11. Check tidepools for anemones, small crabs, fish and other critters that are normally out of reach. 

• WDFW's Wooten Wildlife Area in in the southeast part of the region's Blue Mountains is a good place to see elk, black bear, bighorn sheep, turkeys and many other kinds of birds.

• WDFW's Sinlahekin Wildlife Area near Tonasket includes elevations over 5,000 feet, bunchgrass and shrub vegetation, and lots of densely wooded riparian habitat areas that host mule deer, whitetail deer, bighorn sheep, coyotes, hawks, nesting golden eagles, blue grouse, mountain bluebirds and other wildlife. 

June 27 - July 10, 2001

• Timberwolf Mountain, off the Bethel Ridge Road northwest of Naches, is a great place to watch mountain goats. If you're not a hiker, this is a summit (over 6,400 feet) that you can reach via motor vehicle (able to handle rough roadway) for some incredible views of the east slope of the Cascade Mountains. Along with the area's goats, which are often spotted right from the road, you're also bound to see mule deer, elk, blue grouse, mountain bluebird, and other wildlife. (Sunny's note: there is sometimes snow over the last part of the road into July)

 (SW Wa News)

• July 17, 2001 -- Potential goat habitat in the Gifford-Pinchot National Forrest (GPNF). Areas that were covered were the three WDFW Region 5 hunt units; Tatoosh, Smith Creek, and Goat Rocks, the north-south ridge systems south of the Cispus River, Mount Adams, Sleeping Beauty, the Sawtooth Mountain ridge system in the Indian Heaven Wilderness, and some of the rock outcrops south of Council Bluff. A total of 248 goats were observed.

• July 2, 2001 -- Up to five ospreys at a time can be seen hunting at Swofford Pond. Deer fawns are becoming increasingly active, and much more visible than earlier in the month.

  Swofford Pond
  • If you like fishing, hiking and watching birds and wildlife in a serene and relaxing atmosphere, Swofford Pond is the place to visit. Swofford Pond is approximately 4.5 miles east of the town of Mossyrock.
  • To get there from Mossyrock Park, drive west toward the town of Mossyrock for about one-half mile. Turn left at Swofford Road at the Y, and travel another 1.5 miles in a southeasterly direction. Stay to the left at the second Y. Parking is available in the county parking lot about 300 yards beyond the entrance to the boat launch.
  • The 1.5-mile Swofford Pond nature trail is just south of the parking lot behind the gate. The trail winds its way around the south side of this pristine pond and passes through a mature forest with beautiful spring wildflowers.
  • Mornings and evenings are the best times to visit Swofford Pond. Be on the lookout for elk, deer and many different types of birds. Swofford Pond is an especially attractive site for many waterfowl so bird watchers are sure to be delighted.
    

All July, 2001

• Sockeye salmon returning to Lake Washington provide a spectacular show at the Hiram Chittenden Locks in Ballard. More than 205,500 sockeye had been counted there as of Monday (July 9), with counts averaging more than 9,000 fish per day over the last week. The locks, at 3015 NW 54th St. in Seattle, are open to visitors form 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, and the fish ladder features lighted viewing windows, where visitors can stand eye-to-eye with the sockeye as they swim upstream to spawn. Above ground viewing areas also are splashing with sockeye activity. 

June 28 - July 11, 2000

• For bird fanatics, now is a great time to visit the WDFW Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area in Lincoln County. As many as 90 white pelicans have been spotted on west Swanson Lake and are readily visible from the county road or the parking lot. Ducks, geese, American avocets, black-necked stilts, double-crested cormorants, gulls, and the occasional tern can also be found. Sprague Lake and Coffeepot Lake promise good bird watching as well. Pheasant broods and other upland birds are making an appearance now in the region. 

• Birders will want to check out the Big Valley Ranch portion of the Methow Wildlife Area, and around the beaver pond near Sun Mountain Lodge. Also, Bonaparte Lake has a visible loon chick in residence. Good deer watching is available in the irrigated fields of the Methow Valley in both the early morning and late evening. Wildflowers are in full bloom in the Hart's Pass area. 

July 1-14, 1999

• Burrowing owls in the central regions, especially around the Tri-Cities and the Pasco airport in particular, are just coming out with chicks now.
  

July 12-25, 2006

• Now's a good time to head to the Ballard Locks and check out sockeye salmon passing the fish ladder viewing windows. 

• Butterflies are out and about throughout the region. The Washington Butterfly Association's seventh annual conference is scheduled July 14-16 in Metaline Falls in Pend Oreille County. For more information about attending the conference or joining a field trip, see http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabaws/conference.htm

July 13-26, 2005

• Earlier this month, Hood Canal residents thought they had seen the last of the "Slippery Six," the transient killer whales that had been feeding on seals in the 60-mile-long fjord since Jan. 25. One observer reported seeing the transients moving north under the Hood Canal Bridge "in transit mode," seeming to confirm one killer whale expert's prediction that the group would soon head back to their home waters in southeast Alaska for social interaction with others of their kind. But within a few days, the travelers were back, sighted first at Seabeck, then off the mouth of the Hamma Hamma River.  They were last reported to the Orca Network on July 14 heading north toward the Hood Canal floating bridge and are finally gone.

• The chance to see a pair of nesting black-backed woodpeckers has drawn a number of birders to a burn in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest at the foot of Mt. Adams. There, off Forest Road 2329, up Meadow Lake Trail 136, through Takh Takh Meadows and past the remnants of a lava tube, the woodpeckers are nesting in a burned-out fir tree.  Other birds spotted in the area include seven Grays jays (at nearby Horseshoe Lake), a female Barrow's goldeneye, an olive-sided flycatcher, a Clark's nutcracker and two oranged-crowned warblers.

• WDFW Wildlife Biologist Paul Wik of Clarkston recently observed two juvenile peregrine falcongreat blue heron chicks flying near their nest site near the Snake River in Clarkston. Wik also recently checked the communal nesting site west of Clarkston and saw nine juvenile birds about to fledge.

• Huckleberries are already ripe all over Ferry and Stevens counties in areas at about 2,300 feet elevation. "If you have the gathering spirit, this is starting off as one of the best huckleberry years in the last five and maybe even 10 years," Palmanteer said. The great picking should continue through mid-August at higher elevations, topping out at about 4,500

• Six bighorn sheep rams are attracting tourists and local residents alike as they regularly graze in an alfalfa field adjacent the Loomis-Spectacle Lake Road. The big rams have been frequenting an area west of Highway 97 between Tonasket and Oroville. 

• Guided butterfly viewing is available as part of the sixth-annual Washington Butterfly Association Conference, July 22-24 in Mazama. The varied habitats of the Methow Valley, including riparian zones, shrub steppe and alpine meadows support more than 100 butterfly species. Participants in the conference's field trips and lectures can gain a better appreciation of the species living throughout the region.  

• This is an excellent time to make a trip to higher ground to watch butterflies and hummingbirds using alpine meadow wildflowers. WDFW Habitat Biologist Ken Bevis of Yakima says the high elevation mountain areas throughout the region are in full bloom now. "It's just now spring time up there," he said. Red and pink monkey-flowers, penstemons, coral bells and columbines are attracting hummingbirds. Yellow and white asters, daisies and yarrow are drawing butterflies. 

July 7-20, 2004

• Another suburban wildlife-viewing opportunity is hitting its peak in Ballard, where thousands of sockeye salmon continue pouring into the fish ladder at the Hiram M. Chittenden locks. The fish-viewing area at the locks is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily; the visitor's center is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, and guided tours are available daily at 2 p.m. Through July 6, the high-water mark for sockeye numbers at the locks this year has been the 18,359 fish that were counted July 1. On average, the peak of the run entering the locks typically comes during the second week in July, but run timing can vary significantly from year to year

• Puget Sound's resident killer whale pods, including the J, K and L pods, are fish eaters, feeding on salmon, herring and squid. The "J's" have been spending a lot of time along the west side of San Juan Island, particularly near Lime Kiln State Park, which places them in perfect position to intercept sockeye returning to Lake Washington and British Columbia's Fraser River. Check out the Orca Network website, at http://www.orcanetwork.org/sightings/map.html on the Internet for the latest information on where the pods have been spotted. 

• Southcentral WA: One recent report from the Grandview Sewage Treatment Plant, south of Sunnyside, indicated nearly 20 different species among well over 500 ducks and other water-related birds. The highlight was over 50 ruddy duck males in bright breeding plumage and ruddy chicks out for their first swim.
  

July 9-22, 2003

• Anyone visiting a saltwater beach might happen upon young harbor seals this time of year.
  Mothers leave their seal pups on the beach for extended periods of time as they go about the business of finding small fish, squid and other food.

• For a wide variety of migratory species, mid-July is a time for comings and goings to and from the region. The first big influx of shorebirds - including western sandpipers, semipalmated plovers and short-billed dowitchers - has already arrived from the north, bringing a frenzy of activity to coastal areas from Neah Bay to the Nisqually River delta. Further inland, swallows are flocking after the breeding season, while hummingbirds move to alpine areas in anticipation of the summer wildflower bloom.

•  Meadows in the high country are also where you'll find the greatest concentrations of butterflies at this time of year, said Ann Potter, WDFW wildlife biologist. Blues, whites, sulphurs, checkerspots and other varieties can all be found in grassy fields free of snow. "The higher elevations have the greatest diversity of herbaceous plants, and therefore the greatest diversity of butterflies," she said. "Butterflies are selective feeders and appreciate the wide variety of plants at the higher elevations." Mount Rainier is a popular place to view butterflies, and should reach its peak as the wildflowers come into bloom in the next few weeks. 

• Roosevelt elk are out by the dozens on the Mount St. Helens Wildlife Area. The Weyerhaeuser Forest Learning Center located on State Route 504 about 33 miles east of Interstate 5, offers an overview of the action.

• WDFW Wildlife Biologist Steve Zender recommends osprey family watching trips to the Pend Oreille River now. "Osprey are one of the easiest birds to observe feeding and caring for young at the nest, " Zender said. "They are a relatively late nester so they still have young in the nest and now is the best time to watch them." Zender says that many osprey nests can be observed on the top of snags, power poles, or pilings near many eastern Washington waters, but one of the best spots is the Cusick to Usk road along the west shore of the Pend Oreille River. "You can drive up the east side of the river from Newport and return on the west side, as far as Ione if you have the time," he said.

• Butterflies are as abundant as blooming vegetation now and a recent Audubon field trip in the Tieton River area yielded glimpses of nearly three dozen species. The steppe vegetation of Bethel Ridge hosted Anise, Indra and Pale Tiger swallowtails, Clodius Parnassian, Western White, Western Sulphur, and Milbert's Tortoiseshell. The riparian and wetland habitats of lower Oak Creek had Common Branded and Woodland skippers, Becker's White, Sara's Orangetip, Orange Sulphur, and Lorquin's Admiral. Other species, including fritillaries, coppers, blues, checkerspots, anglewings, and nymphs, were seen in both areas, plus the meadows and wetlands of Timberwolf Mountain.

July 10-23, 2002

• The first whale-watching park in the nation is still considered the beat place to see orcas from land in the United States. Lime Kiln Point State Park is on the west coast of San Juan Island about 9 miles from Friday Harbor.  The park is famous for its land-based vistas of resident orcas that frequent the area to feed and do a little back-scratching on the rocks that jut from the beach. The best time to see orcas is in the morning, although whales can be seen any time of day.   To get to Lime Kiln Point State park from Friday Harbor, head southwest on Spring street until it turns into San Juan Valley Road.  Turn left on Douglas Road after passing the airport, and head south until it turns to the west and becomes Bailer Hill road. Bailer Hill Road will then turn into West Sides Road which goes into the park.  (also June and August) 
• The best way to get close views is to take to the water yourself.  Sea kayaking has become very popular, and many companies offer rentals and tours.

• This is also the time that surf smelt head for the beach by the thousands to spawn along the coast, setting off a feeding frenzy for seals and birds waiting to intercept them. Jack Smith, regional WDFW wildlife manager in Montesano, witnessed this all-you-can-eat spectacle during a recent stop in Kalaloch. "The seals were tumbling through the breakers, working over the smelt with hundreds of gulls overhead," Smith said. "It was quite a sight."

• Among the sightings posted by birders on the Tweeters website in the last week: five pair of snowy plovers on the beach near Tokeland, 42 brown pelicans at North Cove in Pacific County and nearly 200 western sandpipers at Bottle Beach State Park in Ocosta. 

• Diann MacRae, with the Olympic Vulture Study, reports that turkey vultures have been spotted with increasing frequency throughout the region, including eight at the George Adams Salmon Hatchery on Hood Canal, five at Washington Harbor east of Sequim, and four near the Julia Butler Hansen Wildlife Region eating road kill. 

• Black-tailed deer sightings are numerous on Peterman Hill on the Cowlitz Wildlide Area. 

• Turkey broods are showing on the Klickitat Wildlife Area and in other parts of Klickitat County. 

• Summer is butterfly watching time in sunny eastern Washington and the northcentral region has many public lands with wildflower meadows, wet areas, and riparian habitat to attract hundreds of species. WDFW's Columbia Basin wildlife areas, including Desert, Goose Lakes, Potholes, Seep Lakes and Winchester are easy access places to look for everything from the familiar Monarchs to the exotic-sounding (but really quite common) Painted Ladies, plus swallowtails, wood nymphs, skippers, and blues. Most butterflies seek brightly-colored composite flowers for nectar. You'll also see groups of them on moist sand or mud around puddles of water; although the function of these "mud-puddle clubs" is not fully understood, it's thought that the water contains dissolved minerals needed by the butterflies. 

July 10 - August 6, 2002

• The high lakes on the east side of the Cascade Mountains, many in the Goat Rocks, William O. Douglas, and Norse Peak Wilderness Areas of the Wenatchee National Forest, are good destinations for wildlife watching.  Marmots and pikas are almost sure bets. Elk and mountain goats are possible.

July 11-24, 2001

• Black-tailed deer fawns are becoming more visible at the Cowlitz Wildlife Area, and are commonly seen up and walking with their does. Common yellowthroats and other songbirds are abundant along the edges of brushy areas and shorelines throughout the area. Hungry fish-eating birds with hungry young can been seen foraging on lakes and ponds in the wildlife area; the most visible are belted kingfishers, ospreys and bald eagles.

• A pair of common loons have a chick in tow on Yocum Lake, southeast of Ione up the LeClerc Creed Road in Pend Oreille County. WDFW fish biologist Curt Vail says the breeding pair is new to Yocum this year. Loons have also been breeding in recent years at Ferry Lake, south of Republic up Scatter Creek Road off Highway 21.

• The Sinlahekin Wildlife Area, northwest of Tonasket in Okanogan County, is a great place to see a wide a diversity of summering wildlife families. Mule and whitetail deer does with spotted fawns, blue grouse with trailing chicks, young red-tailed hawks cruising the skies and learning to hunt, even turtles along the area's many lakeshores looking for places to lay eggs. The Sinlahekin covers almost 14,000 acres of varied terrain and waterways, with day-use and overnight camping facilities available. If you can't make it to the Sinlahekin yourself, take a video tour of this beautiful area with manager Dale Swedberg.  

July 12-25, 2000

• This is the time of year to catch a glimpse of some of the less common shorebirds as they head back through our region after nesting in the arctic. Yellowlegs, sandpipers, and certain species of phalaropes can be spotted in and around mudflats. Good places to look are Reardan Ponds, Swanson Lakes, Dodson Road (South of I-90), and the Potholes Reservoir. For a twist on wildlife watching, consider taking a canoe down the Little Spokane River, where birds, ducks, deer, and moose may be visible. 

• Wildlife viewing on Lake Chelan is still very good for mountain goats and bighorn sheep. Keep your eyes open for mountain goats in the rocky areas between Safety Harbor and Canoe Creek. Twin Harbors and the area south of Domke Falls are also good bets for mountain goats. Bighorn sheep can be seen in the area between Mitchell Creek and Safety Harbor, especially in the Grade Creek and Deer Point areas.
  

July 15-28, 1999

• Stehekin Creek at the north end of Lake Chelan is a good place to spot harlequin ducks.

• The San Juan Islands are a prime place to spot osprey and bald eagles feeding their young. Young eagles are about ready to leave their nests and osprey will follow suit within the next few weeks. 

• A glimpse of a sea otter may be in store for visitors to the northern coastline of the Olympic Peninsula, according to WDFW Wildlife biologist Scott Richardson. He advises using binoculars to scan floating kelp beds for otters bobbing on their backs– some with pups on their stomachs. Prime spots are the coastline of Olympic National Park, Destruction Island and La Push areas. 
  

July 16-29, 1998

• When the tide goes out, the area where land and ocean meet a wondrous sample of marine life that is easily accessible to land dwellers. Rocky shores provide the best opportunities for viewing a variety of plant life, shellfish and snails. Low tides provide golden opportunities for finding the greatest of intertidal life.   Edmonds Beach, Kalaloch and rialto beaches on the coast, Salt Creek on the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Rosario Beach in Deception Pass State Park all provide excellent tide pool recreation. 

• Elk calves and cows can be seen in groups at dawn and dusk grazing in meadow areas in the southeast’s Blue Mountains and central Washington’s Colockum and Yakima areas.

• Groups of bighorn sheep lambs and ewes can be seen on the Wooten Wildlife Area near Dayton and sometimes can be spotted in high draws above the Tucannon River in southeast WA

• Watch for endangered Peregrine falcon chicks trying out their wings for the first time around their nest under Spokane’s Sunset Highway bridge over Latah Creek.  The next is visible from below in Highbridge Park.

July 20 - August 3, 2004

• Chuck Gibilisco, a WDFW watchable wildlife specialist, said many birds appear to have finished their nesting season earlier than usual this year, making them easier to spot now that they're moving around more. He recently spotted more than 100 scoters in "pre-migration formation" at Ruby Beach near Kalaloch. 

• A Tweeters correspondent reports spotting some 500 brown pelicans sitting on the south jetty in the Columbia River estuary. According to the Ecological Society of America, East Sand Island, near the mouth of the Columbia River, is the largest roost in the Pacific Northwest for California brown pelicans. Nearly 11,000 of the endangered birds have been counted on East Sand Island at one time. The pelicans are just one species of piscivorous (fish-eating) waterbirds that have taken to colonizing the Columbia estuary in the last two decades.
  East Sand Island also supports the largest breeding colony in the world (over 8,000 breeding pairs); hosts the largest double-crested cormorant colony on the North American Pacific coast (more than 10,000 breeding pairs); and is the site of one of the largest glaucous-winged/western gull colonies on the Pacific coast (over 6,000 pairs). 

• Spokane's peregrine falcon family is busy hunting swifts, pigeons, and other smaller birds around their nest on the bridge over Latah Creek in Highbridge Park, just west of downtown. The two chicks are learning quickly from their parents; in fact, they're now hard to distinguish from the older birds. At 13 years of age, the matriarch of this family is one of the west's oldest wild peregrine falcons still producing young. 

• Try a trip to WDFW's 14,000-acre Sinlahekin Wildlife Area, located south of Loomis and west of Tonasket in northern Okanogan County.  The Sinlahekin's bird list alone includes 244 species, from common loons on the lakes to red crossbills in the woods. There are also 61 species of mammals, 20 species of reptiles and amphibians and approximately 100 species of butterflies. "Most visitors at this time of year are going to see white-tailed and mule deer and bighorn sheep," Swedberg said, "but during early morning and late evening, you might catch a glimpse of moose, black bear, cougar, bobcat and coyote."

July 23 - August 5, 2003

• Seattle's Montlake Fill is full of birds, including green heron and a family of pied-billed grebes.

• Pelagic birdwatchers out of Westport reported seeing two Xantus's murrelets (rare sighting for WA state) plus more than 150 white-sided dolphins, a minke whale, a humpback whale, elephant seals, and a northern fur seal.

• For a close-up view of adult salmon returning to spawn, check out the early returning pink salmon run at the Hoodsport Hatchery on Hood Canal. Adult males really go through an amazing physical transformation as they near the end of the spawning run. 

• American white pelicans, a state listed species, and black-necked stilts can be seen on Sprague Lake and some of the smaller wetlands south of Sprague.

• Harts Pass birdwatchers saw a female white-tailed ptarmigan with six chicks on the north side of Slate Peak plus several gray-crowned rosy finches near the snowfields in the same area. Pine grosbeaks, three-toed woodpeckers, boreal chickadees, varied thrushes and a western meadowlark were also spotted.

• Birdwatchers and others simply driving Interstate 82 near Yakima are reporting up to 100 American white pelicans soaring over the Yakima River about a mile east of the Arboretum.
  

July 24 - August 6, 2002

• Check bays and estuaries throughout northern Puget Sound, including the Samish Flats, or the Skagit Wildlife Area, for thick flocks of shorebirds working the tidelines for food – and watch for peregrine falcons patrolling those same areas and preying on shorebirds.

• Recently large streaming groups of cascade frog tadpoles were observed in clear water at Forlorn Lakes in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. These "lines" of tadpoles followed shoreline contours when making their migration from one part of the small lake to another. In some cases they congregated near the shoreline in dense masses One small adult frog was also found at the shoreline near one of these masses.

• Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area in Lincoln County recently saw an influx of double-crested cormorantswhite pelicans and Great blue herons on the west lake near the road. Area manager Juli Anderson notes that earlier were on the east lake, but just moved north, possibly up to Coffeepot Lake or other waterways. Area assistant manager Mike Finch reports that at least one of the kestrel boxes at Swanson Lakes produced three to five offspring this year, based on the five he saw sitting on the ground under the box last week.