[salish]

I'll join the fray and make a report on Umtanum Canyon. This is for Wednesday, May 12th. Actually, this was a fishing trip to the Yakima River, but I squeezed in a hike up the canyon in the afternoon. It was fun seeing the canyon in the heat instead of the dead of winter. I'm usually in there in December & January so it's interesting to see it when it's green. The hike was fun and I saw a lot of birds - ran into a birder with his big expensive binocs and his tripod Australian sheepdog. He was all excited about the birds he was seeing. I also hiked about a mile north of the Umtanum footbridge on the west side of the river, following the RR tracks. I was fishing this stretch, but took a detour up an old track, heading up what I guess is the south slope to Manastash Ridge. I ran into an older guy (even older than me) who was carrying a pack and had been up on top checking out a water tank which was set up for Bighorn sheep. Since I was wearing waders, wading boots, fly vest, and carrying an 8ft fly rod, I didn't hike far. But it was a fun jaunt into the Canyon. For you fly fishers: The infamous "Mothers Day Hatch" is coming off in the Yak around Umtanum. There were at least three distinct hatches during the day -so many caddis flies you had to keep your mouth shut or you'd eat them. Both banks are full of smolts so they'll thrash your fly while you're looking for a big fish. I had no luck in getting past the smolts, but did manage one larger fish. I talked with some other fishermen who were catching some really nice fish, so I must have been doing something wrong. Anyway, there you have it for what it's worth. Cliff

[Alan Bauer]

Glad you got up the canyon a bit Salish. We both seem to always be there in January instead, isn't that funny? I enjoyed your report from the mention of the people you met. I just KNOW you met the same guy that I met who hikes up the canyon walls for his workout at his older age to check on the sheep situation. He was there doing it in November last fall and again when I was by there in March! Birder---this is heaven for birders and I've been following BirdYak, the local birders out of the Yakima chapter over there and this time of year the canyon is teaming with very exciting migrants. Many species of warblers along the creek as well as Lazuli Buntings (VERY cool looking blue birds), Yellow chats, and others which are very hard for birders to otherwise see to add to their life / county lists. Fun fun fun

[salish]

That's got to be the same guy, Allen. Nice guy, probably late 50's/early 60's, without an ounce of fat on him. Fun to bs with. He had just come off the mountain with a pack and wasn't even breaking a sweat. Yea, the birder was really excited. I am not a bird person so I can't remember the names of all the various birds he had just seen, but he did mention warblers. I've been threatening to join a birders group, if I could just find time to squeeze all of my outdoor activities into my schedule Cliff

[Alan Bauer]

That's surely the same guy then. Yes, he was just heading down out the canyon when I met him the first time....acting like a spring chicken and full of advice on special slots in the canyon worth venturing up. Birding....a serious threat for me to just pack up my other activities and do birding for days on end. While I just can't find myself being able to do that when I also want to be hiking/photography/traveling around, it luckily fits in with my other activities nicely on a much smaller scale. What is wonderful about bird groups is how they freely share all information about birds and sightings and birding areas within their birding community so well. I actively track such email / alert groups as Tweeters, BirdYak, and there is one for southern B.C. / Okanagon as well. This offers me the data to know what I can be looking for when, which of course has improved my photography 250% with such things now compared to 5 years ago. And it's fun reading the tales of the people who do head out and manage to spend a full 15 hour day birding only the region from Wenas to Ellensburg! The stretch from the Wenas cemetary up to Wenas, up to the campground, back to the road and over Ellensburg Pass, is one of the most birding rich areas I've come to note and very popular with birders of the region. Much more than just bluebirds utilizing the 150+ birdhouses along the way!

[salish]

Allen, what book would you recommend to a new birder? Something small and light that won't weigh a ton, yet still be appropriate for Washington state? I have the great Peterson's Western Birds book, but it's large and pretty heavy. This Wenas area you're talking about sounds really nice. Thanks, Cliff

[frankm3]

What a neat trip; I certainly know I just love that area (I drive the 821 way whether I really need to or not). Can't imagine prettier place to drop a line in the water either!

[Alan Bauer]

Cliff-- There are so many really well done guides, but of course most are rather large 5x8" and 320 pgs. What I do is have them at home or even in the rig so I can look at them when my memory is fresh. Other than the Peterson guides my favorite is the Sibley Guide to Birds of Western North American by David Allen Sibley. The National Geographic guide is excellent as well and has had a lasting power of something like 5 or 6 revisions over 20-30 years. As for smaller books there is one great one for west of the cascades: Birds of the Puget Sound Region by Bob Morse, Tom Aversa, and Hal Opperman. Bob Morse is the NW expert on coastal birds, Opperman lives in Bellevue I believe. It won't cover east-side only species well however. I'll look more for a guide on my shelves that might cover the dry-side species and be small too. Alan

[salish]

Thanks Allen, I'll check out that west side book. -C

[MooseAndSquirrel]

Thanks for the report Salish. Here's a truly serious birding questions that someone may know the answer to- why with certain birds like crows do we seemingly never see juvenile ones? Where do crows nest? Up in trees or on the ground? Maybe I'm seeing young crows all the time but mistake them for adults but all of them look to be the same general size and have that hip crow 'tude of course.

[Alan Bauer]

I'm not saying I'm a full blown expert birder....but I'm pretty certain they nest high up in mature evergreen trees such as Douglas firs. As do other larger "normal" birds like Stellers Jays. So by the time you see 'em, they be big boys flying already.