I spent last week in the North Fork Ahtanum Creek area, about 40 miles
west of Yakima, at elevations of 5,000-6,500'. Over the years I have
visited from Labor Day to early October, with one 1992 visit as late
as 11/3 (when I saw Pine Grosbeaks), so don't have a good feel for
breeding birds. I have never been disappointed with the birds seen,
and have always felt that my trips for elk are just an excuse to see
fall birds in the mountains. This time I was joined by Don Haley (an
excellent birder) from the Moses Lake ES office and a friend of his,
so had a little help with sightings. I'm listing a few of what birds
we saw last week.

Barrow's Goldeneye (Green Lake-looked like a late brood of 5 with no
adult)
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Spruce Grouse (another male in the same area as one last month)
Blue Grouse (the most I've ever seen up there)
No. Pygmy Owl (widespread and calling at sunset)
Great Horned Owl (at 6,000' elev.)
Great Gray Owl (95% sure based on the description of it's flight and
habitat near Green Lake)
Lewis' Woodpecker (at least a dozen between Yakima airport and just
west of Tampico, before leaving the oaks)
Red-breasted Sapsucker (also seen in 1993)
Hairy Woodpecker
White-headed Woodpecker (Don saw in two locations)
Black-backed Woodpecker
5 species of Corvids in the same 20 acre area
C.b. and Mtn. Chickadee, R.b. and W.b. Nuthatches, R.c.and G.c.
Kinglets (all in mixed feeding flocks)
Brown Creeper
Winter Wren
Am. Dipper (within 300 yards of headwaters streams)
Hermit (1) and Swainson's Thrushes (numerous)
Varied Thrush (abundant starting 10/12, but not before then)
G.c. Sparrow (abundant, but no W.c. seen)
Fox Sparrow

I was surprised not to hear any Spotted or Saw-whet Owls, and
disappointed not to hear Boreals, even after repeated calling. I had
Boreal Owls there in 1992 and 1994, calling on their own at first
light. I did not access those exact areas at dawn this time, but was
in similar habitat of spruce, fir and larch. The area is going
through extensive selective logging by DNR and/or Plum Creek Timber,
but there still are good stands of old growth spruce, fir and
lodgepole pine in some areas.

I was intrigued by the possibility of Great Gray Owls in the area, but
the habitat is not unlike where they occur in Okanogan County with
meadows scattered among forest. If Kittitas County has Great Grays,
they certainly could occur in this location. I'm interested in
placing nest boxes and platforms in some likely spots the next time
I'm up there, hoping some of the Yakima County folks or WDFW will help
out.

Randy Hill, Othello