OLYMPIA - By the time the Fourth of July rolls around this year, the holiday celebration will already be well under way for thousands of salmon anglers and sport crabbers expected to turn out for season openers from Ilwaco to Friday Harbor.

Salmon anglers got their first taste of ocean fishing June 26, when Marine Area 2 (Westport) opened for the summer season. Although fishing started out fairly slow, one out of every two anglers brought a salmon - mostly chinook - to the dock the next day.

Starting July 1, anglers will see if they can improve on those odds when salmon fishing opens in marine areas 3 (LaPush), 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu), 6 (Port Angeles), 7 (San Juan Islands), 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) and 13 (south Puget Sound), followed by Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco) July 3.

"Prospects look good for the north coast, as well as a number of areas in Puget Sound," said Steve Thiesfeld, recreational salmon fisheries manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). "Most of these areas have had little or no fishing pressure this year, so they should be pretty good on the opener."

Crabbers, too, will get their first opportunity of the year to test the waters in a number of areas. Waters scheduled to open for crabbing July 1 include marine areas 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 7 south (San Juan Islands), 8-1 (Deception Pass to East Point), 8-2 (East Point to Possession Point), 9 (Admiralty Inlet) 10 (Seattle/Bremerton), 11 (Tacoma/Vashon) and 12 (Hood Canal).

Crab fishing in those areas will be open Wednesday through Saturday each week, plus the entire Labor Day weekend. In the three areas already open - 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu) and 13 (south Puget Sound) - crabbers can fish seven days per week.

The daily catch limit in all areas is five Dungeness crab, plus up to six red rock crab.

Before casting a line or setting out a crab pot, fishers are strongly advised to check the WDFW Fishing in Washington rules pamphlet, the WDFW website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/) and the department's fishing hotlines for regulations on each fishery. For finfish, the hotline number is 360-902-2500; for shellfish, the number to call is 866-880-5431.

Particularly during the Independence Day weekend, these new fishing opportunities will likely add to the congestion around boat ramps and other public access sites, said Scott Loerts, WDFW safety officer.

"We want to urge everyone to exercise caution and patience, especially when facilities get crowded," said Loerts, adding that all children age 12 and younger aboard a boat must wear a flotation device under state law. Life jackets approved by the U.S. Coast Guard must also be available for all occupants of a boat, regardless of their age.

Loerts also reminds outdoor enthusiasts that fireworks - and open fires outside of designated areas - are prohibited on WDFW water access sites, wildlife areas and many other public lands.

With those precautions in mind, here is a summary of the outdoor recreation opportunities available in various regions throughout the state:

North Puget Sound

• Fishing: Anglers are finding hit-and-miss success at catching chinook salmon in the Tulalip Bay "bubble" fishery near Marysville. Trolling bait or lures behind a flasher and off a downrigger in the deeper "outside" portion of the bubble has proven effective, as has jigging a two- to four-ounce lure on an incoming tide. The bubble is open from Friday through noon Monday. The daily limit is two salmon, and chinook must be 22 inches in length to retain. Check pages 112-113 of the current Fishing in Washington sport fishing pamphlet for bubble boundaries and other fishery details. Saltwater anglers will have more fishing options to choose from starting July 1 when the San Juan Islands (Marine Area 7) and the Seattle-to-Bremerton area (Marine Area 10) open. Anglers in the San Juans will be allowed to retain four salmon, courtesy of an expected abundance of pink salmon. The daily bag limit in Marine Area 7 is two fish combined (no more than one chinook), plus two additional pinks. Chinook must be 22 inches in length to retain. The anticipated bonanza of pink salmon will allow anglers fishing in Marine Area 10 to keep two pinks in addition to their two-fish limit for salmon species other than chinook (which must be released). Don't forget that crab season also begins July 1 in several marine areas, including 7 South (San Juan Islands), 8-1 (Deception Pass to East Point), 8-2 (East Point to Possession Point), 9 (Admiralty Inlet), 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) and 11 (Tacoma/Vashon). Crabbing is open Wednesday through Saturday, plus the entire Labor Day weekend, before closing the evening of Sept. 5 for a catch assessment. The daily limit is five Dungeness crab per person, plus six red rock crab. Shrimp fishing is another option in a few areas. While the northern portion of Marine Area 7 has closed for spot shrimp, it will remain open to non-spot shrimp fishing until Oct. 15 in all waters less than 200 feet deep. Check out the sport fishing regulations at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm on the Internet before launching the boat. The popular inner Elliott Bay chinook fishery starts July 8 and runs Friday through Monday until Aug. 22. Anglers in the Elliott Bay bubble can take two salmon, plus two pinks. Chinook must be 22 inches to retain. Troll slow and deep for chinook, using a whole herring, imitation squid or a big spoon with a bright paint job. Give each of these offerings a liberal dousing of scented gel. Fishing will be open in waters east of a line from Pier 91 to Duwamish Head, including the Duwamish Waterways upstream to the First Avenue South Bridge. Low stream flows continue to make life hard for anglers trying to catch spring chinook, summer-run steelhead or resident trout on the region's rivers and streams. Selective fisheries for hatchery chinook salmon on portions of the Skagit and Skykomish rivers have cooled. Another option is catch-and-release fishing for trout on the Cedar River, which continues through August. Anglers who are adept at fishing with light tackle are catching some nice fish, said Steve Foley, a fisheries biologist with WDFW. "The stream flows are so low right now that most of the guys have switched to casting flies," Foley said. Lakes continue to provide great fishing action for trout, perch and bass. With warming water temperatures, anglers going after trout should concentrate their fishing efforts early in the morning or later in the evening. Midday anglers should be prepared to go deep for trout. Try fishing a worm and marshmallow, eggs or scented, moldable baits. Lake Washington is still cranking out nice smallmouth bass that have tipped the scales at four pounds or more. Plastic worms in a variety of colors have been a favorite for many anglers who work the gear underneath and around docks, logs and other structure. Anyone who gets tired of taking "smallies" off the hook can also go after tasty yellow perch (use worms or grubs) or break out the trolling gear and go deep for a chance at catching a few of the lake's massive cutthroat trout. Look for cutts to be hanging out below the thermocline, which is the transition zone between warm surface water and cool deep water. Speaking of Lake Washington, hopes for a sockeye salmon fishery in the lake this year are fading faster postseason prospects for the Seattle Mariners. Sockeye counts at the Ballard Locks fish ladder are just a fraction of those recorded in 2004, when enough fished poured through the locks to support two and a half days of fishing. Fish ladder counts and other Lake Washington sockeye information is available online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/sockeye/counts.htm. One sockeye season that will definitely occur is the Baker River fishery, July 1-31. The Baker fishery will have a daily limit of two sockeye salmon. Note: Two brief closures cited in the Fishing in Washington pamphlet are subject to change. Look for updates on the WDFW website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/) and on the department's fishing hotline (360-902-2500).

• Wildlife viewing: Killer whales have been sighted in large numbers throughout the San Juan Islands. Unlike Hood Canal's famous "Slippery Six" transients, the San Juan Islands animals have been identified as members of resident killer whale pods. A major difference between transient and resident populations is what the two groups eat. While transients are fond of marine mammals, the residents eat salmon, herring and other fish. There are plenty of bird-watching opportunities scattered throughout the region. One birder reporting to the Tweeters online birding network (http://www.scn.org/earth/tweeters/) watched as a pair of adult belted kingfishers put their three recently fledged offspring through some training at Lake Padden near Bellingham. "The three fledglings watched from the trees as the adults flew out over the water and showed the kids how to catch fish," the birder wrote. "One adult took a sharp dive just off the bow of our canoe and came up with a small fish that it fed to one of the excited youngsters." Another birder caught a glimpse of two adult semipalmated sandpipers at the Blaine Marine Park near the Canadian border. These small shorebirds are distinguished from similar looking shorebirds by their stubby beak and drab plumage. Have you ever heard a yellow-breasted chat sing? There's at least one that has been singing up a storm at the Green River Natural Resources Area in Kent. As its name indicates, this chat has a dark yellow breast with gray-olive underparts and a long tail. Chats are North America's largest warbler and, like all other members of their family, yellow-breasted chats are fantastic vocalists with a varied and complicated repertoire. More than 100 common yellowthroats were also 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. Habitat restoration sites along the lower Duwamish River on the southwestern fringe of Seattle's industrial area provide rich opportunities for viewing wildlife. One birder noted a series of birds perching in the same location, only to get dislocated by a bigger or more aggressive bird after a few moments. First up was a lone willow flycatcher, a small bird that snatches flying insects and sings a strong, buzzy song when perched. The birder left the flycatcher for a moment and returned to find a cedar waxwing perched where the flycatcher had been. At 7½ inches in length, the cedar waxwing is slightly larger than the flycatcher and feeds on insects, fruit, tree buds and berries. The waxwing was shooed off by a green heron, a stocky 18-inch-tall bird with a long beak that it uses to snatch fish and other prey from the water. So which bird displaced the green heron? Was it a much larger bird, such as a great blue heron, or maybe a hawk or an eagle? Nope, it was a red-winged blackbird - a bird that might lack size, but one that makes up for it with plenty of aggressive territorial attitude. All of this occurred within three minutes' time. 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. Check out the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Ballard Locks website, at http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/PublicMenu/Menu.cfm?sitename=lwsc&pagename=mainpage for more information. Finally, a visit to WDFW's WildWatch web cams will give viewers great glimpses at the parenting skills of bald eagles, great blue herons, barn owls and other wildlife. All the action can be seen at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wildwatch/ on the Internet.

South Sound/Olympic Peninsula

• Fishing: By most accounts, the ocean salmon fishery off Westport got off to a fairly slow start June 26, but picked up steam as charter operators and private boats zeroed in on the fish. By the second day of fishing, one angler in two had brought a legal salmon - mostly chinook - up to the dock, said Wendy Beeghley, a WDFW fish biologist who monitors the ocean fishery. That was a big improvement over opening day, when catch rates were only half that good, Beeghley said. "The word on the dock is `go north and fish deep,'" said Mark Cedergreen, director of the Westport Charterboat Association. Many charterboat skippers are taking their clients 15-20 miles off Pacific City, fishing 150-200 feet down, he said. "One advantage to that area is that it is also a prime spot for bottomfish," Cedergreen said. "We've seen a lot of anglers come in with a limit of rockfish or lingcod, as well as one or two salmon. We had a 39-pound ling come through yesterday." Chinook salmon checked by WDFW on opening day averaged 10 pounds, Beeghley said. Coho were "few and far between," generally weighing 3 to 6 pounds, she said. As in previous years, anglers must release any coho that is not marked with a clipped adipose fin. Salmon fishing in Marine Area 2 is open Sundays through Thursdays, with a two-salmon daily bag limit. One angler reported to the Gamefishin.com website (http://www.gamefishin.com/) that he caught and released more than a dozen chinook on opening day before finally taking a marked coho home for dinner. Another said he and a friend had released 25 to 30 fish before settling on two chinook salmon, both in the upper teens. While those reports may not be the norm, Cedergreen said he expects to see fishing in Marine Area 2 improve as the season progresses. "There's a lot more salmon up north, and they have to move through this area to get where they're going," he said. Anglers eager to better their odds may want to head to marine areas 3 (LaPush) or 4 (Neah Bay), which open for salmon fishing July 1. Marine areas 5 (Sekiu) and 6 (Port Angeles) in the Strait of Juan de Fuca also open for salmon fishing that day, followed by Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco) on the south coast July 3. Anglers are advised to review the Fishing in Washington rules pamphlet for fishing regulations specific to each area before casting off. Halibut fishing is still good off Sekiu, although no one has topped the 246-pound slab caught by a Spokane angler June 13 off Slip Point. The halibut season in Marine Area 5 runs through July 31, overlapping with salmon fishing by a full month. David Low, WDFW fish biologist, reports that river fishing for hatchery chinook and hatchery steelhead has been fairly slow on the Olympic Peninsula, largely due to low-water conditions. "If, however, we get some more rain, fishing could improve significantly," Low said. Dungeness crab, on the other hand, don't care what the weather is like topside. Marine areas 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu) and 13 (south Puget Sound) have been open for crabbing seven days per week since June 18. Eight other areas will open July 1, including marine areas 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 7 south (San Juan Islands), 8-1 (Deception Pass to East Point), 8-2 (East Point to Possession Point), 9 (Admiralty Inlet) 10 (Seattle/Bremerton), 11 (Tacoma/Vashon) and 12 (Hood Canal). In those areas opening July 1, crabbing will be open Wednesday through Saturday each week, plus the entire Labor Day weekend. The daily catch limit is five Dungeness crab (6¼-inch minimum size), plus up to six red rock crab (5-inch minimum size.) Angling for a good-size trout? Spanaway Lake in Pierce County has been giving up rainbows weighing up to 3 pounds. Worms and marshmallows on a 3-foot leader appear to do the trick. Harts Lake, also in Pierce County, is also a good place to catch rainbows, ranging from 10 to 23 inches, along with the occasional triploid.

• Wildlife viewing: Joggers and bicyclists stopped in their tracks on a recent afternoon to observe a bald eagle perched on a stump in Capitol Lake in the state capital. 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. But nature isn't always a picture postcard. Take, for example, the three-spine stickleback, a silvery two-inch-long fish that lives for just a year, spawns, then dies. In the past week, just as it does every year about this time, WDFW has received a number of calls about an apparent fish kill on Capitol Lake. Sure enough, hundreds of dead sticklebacks lay dead - and stinking - along the lake under the shadow of the capitol dome. Hardly a "Kodak moment," but nonetheless part of the natural cycle for a fish that provides food for trout, ducks, loons, grebes and perhaps the occasional bald eagle. Beachcombers on the Long Beach Peninsula also are finding themselves ankle-deep in one of nature's less-picturesque phenomena. Velella, small jellyfish-like creatures that sail the open ocean with prevailing winds, have been washing up on the Peninsula in large numbers in recent weeks, adding to the pungency of the sea air. Velella, also called "by-the-wind sailors," are found on beaches wherever in the world the wind blows them. This year's visitation is fairly small compared to that of 1989, when Long Beach was covered by a band of dead Velella 50 yards wide and five inches thick. While Velella are not dangerous to people, it's best not to touch them because contact can lead to eye irritation. Irritation? The word doesn't begin to describe the mindset of the crow that has been dive-bombing passersby at the corner of Chehalis and Pioneer streets in Montesano. During the last week of June, several people reported being strafed by the cantankerous corvid, prompting WDFW to post warning signs. "The crow clearly has a nest in a nearby tree," said Capt. Dan Brinson with the WDFW enforcement program. "Crows tend to get pretty protective in the first two weeks after their chicks hatch. We're suggesting that people give her some space for a couple of weeks."

Southwest Washington:

• Fishing: Anglers on the lower Columbia River are finding the stretch of river from Longview to Woodland to be the most productive for salmon and steelhead. Pat Frazier, WDFW regional fish program manager, said fish checkers working during the third week of June tallied 529 bank anglers who kept 20 adult chinook and released 19 adult kings. Bank anglers also kept 30 steelhead and released six fish. The 333 boat anglers who were checked kept 15 chinook and released 18, while also retaining 16 steelhead and releasing 12 others. "The steelhead fishing has been best below the bridge at Longview," Frazier said. Fishers are advised that summer chinook rules in the Columbia River between Tongue Point and the Highway 395 Bridge in Pasco, including all of Knappa Slough and areas of Blind Sough and Deep River, will revert July 1 to non-selective fishing to allow retention of both adipose fin-clipped and non-adipose fin-clipped chinook. Sturgeon fishing has been slow for bank anglers, although boat-based anglers have been finding fish downstream of Rocky Point toward the Highway 101 Bridge. A total of 143 boat anglers kept 61 legal sturgeon while fishing in the estuary. For the remainder of the river up to the Bonneville Dam, 128 anglers managed to boat 10 legal fish. "Sturgeon fishing has really been slower than expected for this time of year," Frazier said. Look for news of additional opportunities to catch and keep sturgeon on the lower Columbia River July 5-10 and July 15-17; Check the fishing rule section of the WDFW website for details at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm. The mainstem Columbia is still plugged with shad, and bank anglers are averaging five fish per rod, which is one fish per rod better than the boat anglers are managing, Frazier said. Daily shad counts from the Bonneville Dam fish ladder have ranged from 30,000 fish to more than 180,000 fish. Frazier noted that an estimated 5.3 million shad had passed over the fish ladder at The Dalles Dam through June 26. Chinook fishing in The Dalles Dam pool has been slow, with 98 anglers keeping seven fish and releasing the same number. Walleye fishing has picked up quite a bit in The Dalles and John Day dams pools, where 39 boat anglers took 27 of these tasty fish. Smallmouth bass fishing has been decent in both pools. Steelhead fishing is the name of the game in Columbia River tributaries, particularly the Kalama and Lewis rivers. Eighty bank anglers fishing the Kalama kept 11 steelhead and released one fish; five boat anglers kept three steelhead and released one. On the Lewis, 27 bank anglers kept six steelhead and released two fish, while 14 boat anglers kept two fish. Frazier said fishing for trout and tiger muskie has been good on Mayfield Lake, with both bank and boat anglers bringing in some nice fish. The fishing is also bound to be hot on Chambers Lake in Lewis County, where 400 brown trout were recently planted. Another 400 brownies were planted in Long Lake, while 3,400 rainbow trout were planted in both Skate Creek and the Tilton River.

• Wildlife viewing: The Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge north of Vancouver continues to be a prime birdwatching destination. One recent refuge visitor spotted a male blue-winged teal, four redhead, two canvasback and no fewer than 15 elegant great egret. Two small, secretive marsh birds, a Virginia rail and a sora were also on display at the wildlife refuge. 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.

Eastern Washington:

• Fishing: WDFW fish biologist Mark Schuck of Dayton reported that Snake River creel clerks are observing low encounter and harvest rates among anglers out after spring chinook salmon. Adult chinook passage at Little Goose Dam recently dropped off significantly, although fish counts at dams farther downstream appear to be fairly normal. The special-season fishery is still below allowable handling rates for wild fish, with a total harvest of just over 100 hatchery fish as of June 27. The season is scheduled to end June 30. On the other hand, sturgeon fishing below Little Goose dam on the Snake River is reportedly good, Schuck said. There is a one-fish daily catch limit for sturgeon on the Snake, with a minimum size of 48 inches and a maximum size of 60 inches. All sturgeon fishing upstream of Lower Granite Dam, including tributaries, is catch-and-release only. Smallmouth bass on the Snake should be responding to top water fishing now, Schuck said. WDFW sergeant Ken Jundt of Walla Walla reports that bass fishing has slowed on the Walla Walla and Touchet rivers, although some fish are still being caught. Jundt also reports good catches of channel catfish in southeast Washington. One angler was recently checked with five catfish up to 20 pounds each, taken from the Columbia River in the six-mile stretch off Highway 730 between Wallula and the Oregon state line. "The lower Walla Walla River is producing channel cats, too," Jundt said. "The area under the train trestle south of Highway 12 is good and at Madame Dorian Park boat launch area." WDFW enforcement sergeant Dan Rahn of Spokane reports that trout are still biting at Williams and Badger lakes in southwest Spokane County. Angler checks in that area show that rainbow trout are averaging 12 to 13 inches and cutthroat trout are coming in around 11 inches. Rahn also notes that night fishing has been good at Waitts Lake up in Stevens County. "The fish are biting really well on green power bait," he reported. "Rainbows are averaging 11 to 12 inches, with a few running 16 to19 inches. Some nice brown trout are also showing up at Waitts." WDFW regional access manager Scott Young reminds anglers out over the Fourth of July holiday weekend that fireworks are prohibited at WDFW water access sites.

• Wildlife viewing: 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." WDFW habitat biologist Sandy Dotts of Colville reports seeing young black bears and wild turkeys, both of which should be given a wide berth to avoid worrying protective moms. "Mommy turkeys can be very aggressive, too," Dotts said. 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. WDFW wildlife biologists Pat Fowler of Walla Walla and Paul Wik of Clarkston have been monitoring Peregrine falcon and golden eagle nests in southeast Washington. One Peregrine 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," he said, "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." Three golden eagle nests in the district have each produced one or two young birds that are near ready to fledge. Two of the nests are in very rugged terrain in southern Asotin County, including the Rattlesnake Grade area, and one is on the Snake River in Columbia County. While looking for bighorn sheep in the Tucannon River area, Fowler recently observed an adult golden eagle in upper Cummings Creek near Jump Off Joe Ridge. "There's good probability there's a nest because golden eagles have been observed in this area for many years and there's lots of good eagle habitat with rugged cliffs and large ponderosa pine," Fowler said. "But we haven't been able to locate it yet," he said. WDFW Spokane regional office manager Lois Blanchette has received a number of calls about bird nests and babies blown out of trees from recent high winds. "Parent birds are still taking care of those little ones, whether they're on the ground or atop buildings," she said. "So the best solution is usually to leave them alone."

North Central Washington:

• Fishing: Catch rates and fishing effort on many of Okanogan County's trout lakes are slowing down, according to WDFW enforcement officer Cal Treser, who recently checked anglers on several waterways. However, Patterson Lake, west of Winthrop, is still producing good for catches of bass, he said. In addition, the Methow River is starting to produce some excellent trout for fly fishers, he said, noting that anglers are also taking limits of bass at the mouth of the Okanogan River. WDFW officers remind anglers to check the rules pamphlet before wetting a line, since they have recently encountered several violations of selective-fishery regulations. In the Columbia Basin, Potholes Reservoir water levels are dropping and surface water temperatures are rising, which puts trout off the bite but boosts the action for bass, walleye, crappie and bluegill. Many of those warmwater fish are found in the dunes part of the reservoir, where boaters need to be extra cautious in shallow channels. WDFW regional access manager Kerry Taylor reminds anglers out over the Fourth of July holiday weekend that fireworks are prohibited at WDFW water access sites.

• Wildlife viewing WDFW wildlife biologist Scott Fitkin of Winthrop says bird watching is excellent now on WDFW wildlife areas around the region, particularly the Methow and Sinlahekin in Okanogan County. "The best time, of course, is early morning," Fitkin said. "On 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'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. More details on places to watch birds in the Okanogan are available on the Washington Audubon's Cascade Loop Birding Trail map, available at http://www.wa.audubon.org or 1-866-WA-BIRDS. Fitkin also notes that this is a good time to look for mule deer, with bucks in velvet antlers grouped up and solitary does tending fawns. "Deer fawns are on the ground and often visible in meadows and fields at dawn and dusk," he said. "Those unattended fawns are not abandoned or orphaned. They're often left for several hours while the doe browses nearby, but she will go back to them. Do not pick up fawns."

South Central Washington:

• Fishing: Now is the time to hike into the high country of the South Cascades for some good fishing in alpine lakes stocked with rainbow trout fry. "The fish stocked as fry from 2002 to 2004 have grown to a size that makes them worth pursuing now," said WDFW district fish biologist Eric Anderson of Yakima. "They may range in size from six to 14 inches or even larger, depending on when the lake was stocked. These fish tend to be of higher quality, having grown under more natural conditions than catchable-size hatchery trout." Anderson says the good fishing in the high lakes should hold up all summer long. All of the fry-stocked lakes, their locations, surface water acres, and numbers of trout stocked over the last three years, are now listed after the region's catchable trout plant posting at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/plants/regions/reg3/index.htm#highlakes. Most high lakes are on U.S. Forest Service property, particularly the Wenatchee National Forest and wilderness areas, so anglers might also check on trail conditions, camping, fire restrictions and other details at http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/wenatchee/. Warmwater fish species continue to provide action throughout the region. "The lower Snake River and Columbia River from the Hanford Reach to John Day Dam produce some of the best smallmouth bass fishing in the West," said WDFW fish biologist Jim Cummins. "Channel catfish are also on the bite. In addition to their naturally producing populations in the Columbia and Snake Rivers, we've stocked catfish in lakes and ponds." Examples include Rotary and Wenas lakes and the Interstate-82 ponds in Yakima County, Scooteney Reservoir in Franklin County and McCabe Pond in Kittitas County. The lower Yakima River is another good bet for channel cats and smallmouth, Cummins said. Yellow perch, pumpkinseed sunfish and bluegill are found in most of the I-82 Ponds. Black crappie have been stocked in I-82 Ponds 3-5 and 7 and in North Fio Rito Lake in Kittitas County. "Another good spot is Dalton Lake in Franklin County," Cummins said. "It's known best for trout fishing, but it also has a host of warmwater fish species, including bass, crappie and yellow perch."

• Wildlife viewing: WDFW habitat biologist Ken Bevis of Yakima advises backyard bird enthusiasts to thoroughly clean bird feeders or remove them completely at this time to reduce the chances of further bird deaths. Local birders recently reported dead evening grosbeaks and other birds. While initial lab testing ruled out the common salmonella bacteria that is often spread at dirty feeders, other molds or bacteria could be the culprit. Recent wet weather, followed by very warm weather, was the perfect combination to incubate such a problem at bird feeders, Bevis said. He recommends using a one-part-bleach, nine- parts-water solution to wash feeders, which should be allowed to dry completely before refilling. "Birds can get along without your feeders," he said. "For your own viewing enjoyment, put them back out this fall when temperatures drop." 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.