Holiday tradition: Cheney tally part of 125th Christmas Bird Count

Dec. 20—Stop-and-go traffic is the norm when Alan McCoy is birding. Especially on the relatively empty back roads near his home south of Spokane. He's always scanning the sky, the trees and the power lines. Any birdy-looking blob is a reason to hit the brakes. Sometimes the blob is just a blob. More often than not, however, the blob is a genuine ornithological surprise. "Hey! We've got a ...