This is slightly late, but if anyone is contemplating a visit to the
northern Colville NF here's some insight:

The assigned area was Ferry Co., R34E/T38N, Tenasket Mt. and Mt. Leona,
p.117 DeLorme Atlas. State Rte. 21 from Republic, 14 miles north to Malo.
Forest Rd. 200, s. fork St. Perter's Creek Rd. to Tr. 49 trailhead. Road
continues another 0.75 mile to deadend. The trailhead is at 5537'
according to my GPS. Arrived 2115, 09 July '96, drove to the trailhead
past logging equipment, parked by the roadside.

10 July '96 clear 0/10, 40F, no wind. Fifty percent of the area, largely
Pinus contorta, has been burned over with no regeneration but a good cover
of grass. The remainder, below 5000' has been partially logged at various
times. The loggers present on the 10th started at 0500 and quit at 1300;
more on that later. Lots of cows to keep one company. I drove to the
road's end and took a trail north up the ridge that joined TR 49 which then
joined TR 30 to the
summit of Mt. Leona. Birds seen & heard (s), from bottom to top, were:

Hermit Thrush (many, s), Dark-eyed Junco (many adult (s) and juveniles),
American Robin,
Cassin's Finch (1), Boreal Chickadee (1s), Western Tanager (1s), Brewer's
Sparrow (1),
Black-backed Woodpecker (2) (1 feeding a juvenile at bottom of trail),
Clark's Nutcracker
(5), Mountain Chickadee (1), Flicker (1), Red-breasted Nuthatch (5,
throughout the ascent)
MAGNOLIA WARBLER (1male in breeding plumage). I didn't realize how rare
MAWA are in Washington (15 observations) until I got home & did some
research. I'm sending a description to Russel Rogers; no photo,
unfortunately, but a long and careful observation at ca 15'. The bird was
feeding on insects trapped in spider webs in an old burn at the juncture of
Tr 49 and Tr 30. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1s), Raven (3).

It was very quiet, overall, and I feel I was about a month late. I looked
for Horned Lark nests beside rocks on the summit balds and for grouse at
the springs & seeps with no success. There were no owls calling or raptors
at any time.

Leaving about 1500 to drive to the next roadhead I found the road blocked
with logging equipment and logs. Leaving a note I returned to the
trailhead & more scouting and came back at 0500 to ask about getting by.
They opened the road at 1000 and I drove north to Aneas Creek Rd. to find
it blocked. Drove back to St. Peter Creek and took the north fork that
ended in someone's barnyard and pig stye instead of a Forest Service Rd,
per the atlas. Then drove south to Lambert Creek Rd, FR 2165, that
terminated at 4701' in a clearcut with no trails and short of the
designated area. It was *very* quiet but I did see and/or hear:
Hermit Thrush (many, s), American Robin, Pileated Woodpecker(1)

It would have taken another day, which I did not have, to drive around to
the roads on the eastern side of this area & try to get in from there. Much
of this area had been logged and burned. Both the DeLorme Atlas and the
Mt. Leona USGS quadrangle (a 1983 "provisional" edition) are misleading as
to roads and trails, but the trails themselves are reasonably well marked.
Although too late for the Breeding Bird Atlas I think it would be
interesting to go into this area in the Spring, from Curlew or further
north, in hopes of finding less disturbed habitat (although the burns
attract Black-backed Woodpeckers.)

Herb Curl








h.curl at hazmat.noaa.gov "You may be only young once but you can be
Hazmat/NOAA, 7600 Sand Pt. Wy., NE immature the rest of your life."
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(206) 526-6272