Hi Tweeters

Once more a thanks goes out to all those that trade info over Tweeters. On
Wednesday we birded with Jerry and Sandy Converse of Grand Coulee. Ever
since they came to Seattle and birded some of the local areas they had been
telling us of all the great birds to be had over there. First, we had to
follow up on Richard Rowlett's info on the Okanogan Highlands and we did
that with Ruth and Patrick Sullivan. Continued reports on Tweeters of Snow
Buntings and Long-eared Owls got us off late on Tuesday to chase the
'Goodies".

Early Wednesday we headed off to get Sage Grouse. These birds are now
being considered as additions to the "Threatened" status on the Washington
Fish and Wildlife List. We had heard that the views of them were to be
scope views and 'rather' distant. When we climbed up the road bank and
looked out over the sage (rather appropriate) covered hills, we immediately
picked out a couple at about 200 yards and easily within scope distance.
But on the closest ridge, running away from us, were a couple of displaying
birds in all there finery. Probably less than 100yds!!

Tail feathers were spread and clearly visible as far as color and pattern
and the yellow eye brow seen. Their air sacs pumping and shaking
brilliantly seen. These birds are relatively easy to discern on their
lekking gounds because their white frontal area is enlarged and stands out
well against the gray-green of the sage. Careful scoping on one bird
revealed that there were four males precent within on scope view at 20X.
When one walked out of the picture it was then possible to see that there
were two females feeding on something on the bushes -- buds??

Because of the breeze and the type of sound they make, it was difficult but
possible to hear the results of their strutting and pumping.

>From there we trooped about 10 miles south to a small tangled copse and
started looking for Long-eared Owl. Up to four have been seen in this
small stand. Really tough!! One binocular scan revealed an owl next to
the trunk. Visible but well hidden! The scope cuts through a lot of
intervening brush and is easier than saying, "Follow the main trunk down to
the third branch from the base where it splits left at 30 degrees and ...
and ... ". Spectacular views of the bird. Turns out that the stripes in
the top of the view were part of a second Long-eared Owl! All this in a
matter of minutes while a road grader works thirty feet away and a dump
truck with 'pup' make a double dump of gravel down the roadbed.

So, let's try for Rosy Finch based on Ruth Sullivan's directions. Again
straight down the road for a look at a feeder on the back deck of a home in
a small development. Oops, forgot. On the way there, a very obliging
Prairie Falcon perches on a phone pole and gives good looks before swooping
on to the next pole. Lots of Red-winged Blackbirds were in evidence and a
contingent of House Finches were busy at the feeder. Then on the back deck
rail a beautifully marked Gray-crowned Rosy Finch.

Setting up the scope revealed that most of the G-c Rosy Finch crew were
busy feeding on the ground by and under the deck and could easily be missed
among the throng of otherbirds. Several obliging ones put on their show on
the deck rail in good light. They appear as though someone stuck a gray
head on a brown body. The gray appears to cover more of the head than shown
in NGS Field Guide partly because the blck patch aboe the bill is smaller.
Also, the gray comes down further on the nape/back than illustrated. The
impression is of a bird with much more of a gray-headed bird with a small
black patch above the bill. Beautiful little bird. Ruth did you get
photos??

Then we chased the Snowy Owls at Moses Lake without luck..... that chase
was covered in an earlier message. Ruth says that she saw and photographed
them but I haven't received an answer to my e-mail so don't know if we were
there looking for them on the same day.

Many other of the normally expected birds were also found with good
concentrations of Pintails, and Coots. Also, Redheads, Mallards, Wigeon,
...... and on the way home 8 Bald Eagles in two adjacent trees near a lake.
Earlier in the day on Sand Dunes Lake Road we unexpectedly found an almost
adult or molting Golden Eagle with many 1/2 - 3/4 size feathers.

Since the locations for the Sage Grouse, Long-eared Owls and Gray-crowned
Rosey Finches were scouted by others, I defer to Jerry and Sandy as to the
specific locations. I do not know how closely these areas are protected
but I feel sure that they would be awkward to locate without an escort or
very specific directions. Besides if you are going to see those birds,
there are others that can be seen because they have been scouted by the
'locals'. Give them en e-mail, OK?

Again, many thanks to Jerry and Sandy for their hospitality and to Tweeters
for the communications avenue it provides.

Bob and Elaine
Federal Way, WA
taylorrt at foxinternet.net