Grand Coulee

Six of us took a pre CBC run through a small portion of the Grand Coulee
count circle and came up with 31 species. Most of the local waters are
still open and while we encountered the usual diving ducks and the
assocciated coots, increasing numbers of common merganzers, pie-billed
grebes and C. geese, we were delighted to again see the dipper below the
dam.
A 1 hr walk along Fiddle Cr produced 2 Thompson Solitaire and several
Gold-crowned Kinglets who could barely be heard above the chickadees and
chittering C. Quail. We saw all three accipters at this site along with
a "definite maybe" on a yellowish warbler (perhaps a yellow-rumped w.)
and a quick glimpse of a female downy w.

Our CBC is next Friday, Dec. 19th and if the weather holds we should
have a good count.

Gary Kuiper
We counted 16 bald eagles as they arrived at the Northrup Canyon roost
at dusk.