Join us for a fun field trip walking along Crab Creek and up on the ridge overlooking the creek. We have done this trip a couple times and we always see plenty of birds including migrating warblers and flycatchers, raptors including a Swainson’s hawk along with some oddities like the small flock of white-faced ibis that were barreling along the creek heading west.
Leaders: Peggy Goodner Tan and Alan McCoy
Sunday May 18, 2025
Trip Description: All levels of birders are welcome. We will walk trails along Crab Creek for a few hours. How long depends on how the birding is. From there, we will drive back by way of the Davenport Cemetery and wind our way back to Cheney via Reardan, Medical Lake, Willow Lake and Granite Lake. We will probably return to Cheney in the afternoon around 4 pm.
Come prepared for: warm temps and sun as the day progresses (we hope). Bring water, snacks, lunch, bug repellent, sunscreen, and hats. It’s tick season. Most likely, an outer layer will be needed at the start of our trip.
Contact: Peggy (509-270-8295) ronandpeggytan@gmail.com, or Alan (509-999-9512) ahm2352@gmail.com to register for the trip. Please contact us by May 10th.
Where and When to meet: Meet at Safeway in Cheney at 5:30 am. Park near the STCU and Carl’s Jr. Yes that is early, but the birding is better earlier. And BTW, Alan is NOT an early riser for anything but birding.
Below are directions to Crab Creek-Rocky Ford Recreation Area:
We will head west on Hwy 904 through Cheney to Tyler. There we will turn on I-90 and go 36 miles, passing Sprague on the way to the Tokio exit 231. At the exit turn right (north) on Danekas Rd. Then within about 0.5 mile turn right (heading north again) on N Hills Road. Drive 7.6 miles. Turn left (west) into the large BLM parking lot located north of Crab Creek and across from the “old” parking area. You can park anywhere in this large parking area.
Target species: Sagebrush species, Vespers, Brewers, Savannah and Grasshopper Sparrows, Sage Thrashers, raptors, migratory warblers and flycatchers.
Horned Lark
Say’s Phoebe
Red-winged blackbird, female, and Yellow-headed blackbird, male
Hammond’s Flycatcher
Western Tanager, male