Annual Wenas cleanup slated for Saturday

The Wenas Valley Muzzleloaders Club is looking for volunteers for Saturday morning's annual range clean-up project on the southern end of the L.T. Murray Wildlife Area, to help the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) maintain a clean, safe area to shoot rifles, pistols and shotguns.

Master Hunters in need of service of service hours can earn up to four hours towards either initial application or the renewal requirement. Don Witke, one of the event organizers, will be available to sign certificates of service.

Participants in the community-service effort can check in at the cattle guard at the end of Sheep Company Road off the North Wenas Road at any time during the clean-up's 8 a.m.-to-noon duration. Participants, who are covered during the event by state L&I insurance, should bring gloves, rake, shovel, a couple of sturdy garbage bags and drinking water.

For more information, call Witke at 697-6378 or Bill Remington at 697-6791.

Fishing Kids return May 10 to Yakima

Fishing Kids will return May 10 to Sarg Hubbard Pond on the Yakima Greenway.

The annual event is put on jointly by the C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation, Yakima Parks and Recreation, the Greenway and the WDFW, with plenty of volunteers from the Mid-Columbia Walleye Club and the Washington State Bass Federation.

It enables kids between the ages of 5 and 14 to get, for only $5, a Zebco rod and reel, a "Fishing Kids" T-shirt, some quick fishing instruction and then catch a couple of trout from a heavily-stocked Sarg Hubbard Pond.

Registration is through the Yakima Parks and Recreation, 2301 Fruitvale Blvd. (575-6020), and sign-up forms are available at a number of local organizations supporting the event. Kids can also sign up the day of the event.

The WDFW will close the pond (a youth-only fishing pond) for a short period prior to the event for stocking and to make sure there's still plenty of fish for the kids to catch. It will be the same at this year's Fishing Kids event in the Tri-Cities, where Columbia Park Pond will close to fishing May 1 in anticipation of the May 3 event.

More than 800 kids annually participate in the Yakima event.

Ducks Unlimited event scheduled in Sunnyside

The Lower Valley chapter of Ducks Unlimited will hold its annual banquet on Saturday, April 26, at the Eagles Lodge in Sunnyside.

Doors will open at 4 p.m. for the event, which will include games, raffles, silent and live auctions.

For more information on the event or ticket purchase, call Greg Visser at 509-837-8008 or 509-839-2144.

Bird Alert: Grouse in their mating displays

Male grouse are now starting their mating displays in many places throughout the state. This was very evident along the Tieton River Natural Trail this week, where the deep booming of two sooty grouse and the din of three ruffed grouse drumming their wings added rhythm to a midmorning hike.

Be sure to check those flocks of American wigeons you see in flooded pastures around the valley. This week a beautiful drake Eurasian wigeon, a sporadic visitor to our state, was spotted in a flock of American wigeons along Pumphouse Road on the Yakama Indian Reservation. These flooded fields also produced large numbers of black-necked stilt, American avocet, and greater yellowlegs.

Birds reported for the first time this season included: three red-naped sapsuckers, heard drumming and calling along Milk Creek in the Wenas, brown-headed cowbird, Lincoln's sparrow and yellow-headed blackbird all seen on the Toppenish Wildlife Refuge.

Other notable birds reported this week were, white-throated swift in Union Gap, pygmy nuthatch, western and mountain bluebird, and white-headed woodpecker all observed along Wenas Creek. Pine siskins were noted in both the Wenas and the Tieton River Natural Trail. American white pelicans have been reported from throughout the valley from Granger to the Yakima Greenway, a ferruginous hawk appeared to be hunting ground squirrels near the intersection of Mieras Road and Coombs Road and a pair of wood ducks made a great addition to a West Valley resident's yard list.

Please call your bird sightings into the Yakima Valley Audubon phone line at 248-1963.

This week's correspondent: Kerry L. Turley

AROUND AND ABOUT

RINGOLD SPRINGERS: The annual Ringold area bank fishery for hatchery spring chinook will run May 1 through June 15, with a daily limit of two hatchery salmon, 12-inch minimum size. Fishing is open only on the hatchery (east) side of the river, and it's bank-fishing only. Ringold Springs Creek at the hatchery outlet is closed.

MULTI-SEASON RE-DRAW: A total of 2,000 hunters -- 1,500 deer hunters and 500 elk hunters -- were drawn last Friday in the re-draw of last week's draw that was validated by a technical error. The randomly-selected hunters will be eligible to purchase a special permit allowing them to participate in general archery, muzzleloader and modern-firearms hunting seasons for deer or elk in 2008. They're also eligible to participate in the general elk-hunting season in both eastern and western Washington.Winners will be notified by mail of their eligibility for the multiple-season hunt.

WONDERLAND COMMENTS: Mount Rainier National Park is looking for public input on its planning effort to repair a damaged section of its Wonderland Trail. About a half-mile section of the trail was destroyed in the Carbon River Valley by the November 2006 floods, and is currently being bypassed via an existing spur trail to the Northern Loop Trail. The spur trail includes a foot log crossing over the Carbon River which is prone to washing out during the spring and fall. For more information or to comment, go online to parkplanning.nps.gov/ and choosing Mount Rainier National Park from the drop down menu.

RAZOR CLAM DIG: A morning razor clam dig will start Saturday at four ocean beaches, with Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks all be open for digging Saturday and Sunday. Twin Harbors will be open for three additional days, through next Wednesday, according to the WDFW. No digging will be allowed after noon on any beach. Kalaloch Beach will remain closed to harvest.

ON THE CALENDAR

CASCADIAN WEEKEND: The Cascadians plan a "Mystery Hike" that will range from easy-intermediate to easy-advanced, with an elevation gain of 2,000 feet or so and possibly some travel over scree and talus, with a lunch break. Sunday's hike will be an intermediate hike to Kelly's Hollow. For meeting time and place on Saturday and Sunday hikes, call Maurine Peck at 453-4244.

SATURDAY: The West Valley Church Men's Ministry will have a special 8 a.m. breakfast featuring Lee Clark, a fly-tying author who will speak on his faith and give a seminar on innovative fly-tying techniques. To RSVP, call Norm Shively at 452-5882 or Adam Koenig at 972-3217. Door prizes will be drawn.

SUNDAY: The annual Earth Day Walk at Cowiche Canyon will begin at 1 p.m. at the Weikel Road end, with walks led by YVCC geologist David Huycke and naturalist/birding author Andy Stepniewski. It's a short, mostly level walk that is best enjoyed by going out with one trip leader and coming back with the other leader.

TUESDAY: The Cascadians plan a hike of 8-plus miles with 2,000 feet of elevation gain on the Skyline Trail. Tuesday hikers meet at 8 a.m. at the 40th Avenue Bi-Mart parking lot and carpool from there, usually breaking into faster and slower groups.

WEDNESDAY: Mount Adams Cycling Club road cyclists will meet at the Fred Meyer parking lot for a 25-mile loop ride to Naches. The ride, beginning at 5:30 p.m., is moderate to brisk; participants need to maintain a minimum average speed of 12 mph. Helmets are required. A faster group (averaging 16 to 18 mph) leaves at 6 p.m. For info: e-mail to anotherjones@earthlink.net

THURSDAY (APRIL 24): Pokies annual trip to Toppenish Wildlife Refuge. For meeting time and place, call KenTolonen at 965-4584. Richard Repp from the Yakima Valley Audobon will be on hand to offer insights on the local wildlife.

MAY 1: "Shed hunting" season for dropped elk antlers begins at the Oak Creek Wildlife Area, but access -- on foot or by vehicle -- remains closed until then to minimize disturbance to wildlife.

-- From staff and news service reports