Andy Stepniewski wrote,

>Arctic cold with temperatures close to zero F and a norterly breeze were
>with Ike Eisenhart and myself all day on the Waterville Plateau in Douglas
>County. Not only was it cold, but the awesome snowstorms which began in late
>November and continuing through the New Years had left the entire region
>buried deep in the white stuff. The snowpack was close to three feet deep,
>and even deeper where drifted.

Congratulations on making the trip. That day I believe I was still
shoveling (more like enlarging) my driveway (two weeks after the big
storm).

... details omitted because you probably already read them

>
>A new area we explored was Dezelman Road which ascends to the plateau from
>the western outskirts of Bridgeport. This riparian flanked creek climbs very
>steeply to the Waterville Plateau. The riparian vegetation is evidently
>varied, with abundant water birch and various fruiting shrubs. Here and
>there were small groves of ponderosa pine. Nine Pine Grosbeaks were the
>highlight here, always an exciting bird in Washington. Two Sharp-shinned and
>one Cooper's Hawk were seen here. Also noteworthy was a lone Clark's
>Nutcracker and several Pygmy Nuthatches. Oddly absent in these pines were
>Mountain Chickadee and Red-breasted Nuthatches. A paucity of seeds in the
>pines might account for their absence.Mountain Chickadees, nuthatches and
>Clark's Nutcrackers have all staged an exodus away from the mountains in the
>late summer and fall of 1996 along the eastern slopes of the Cascade
>Mountains. The lone Mountain Chickadee observed today was in the Lamoine
>Road pine grove northwest of Withrow, an introduced row of pines on the
>plateau.
>

These small areas of pines in eastern Washington always intrigue me because
the species diversity may follow an island effect. The number of species in
each should be determined by grove size, distance from the "mainland"
habitats to the west and north. Birders in the Palouse find the same
effects on Kamiak Butte, Smoot Hill, and other islands in the sea of wheat.
I wouldn't be surprised at all to find some species missing.

One interesting characteristic is the presence of Pygmy Nuthatches. I feel
their nomadic nature seems to preadapt them for colonizing the small
groves.

... trip list went here


>
>Andy Stepniewski
>Wapato WA

--Jerry <tangren at wsu.edu>