Subject: RBA: N ID / E WA / NE OR -- 2/19/99
Date: Feb 23 13:38:00 1999
From: Dale Goble - GOBLED at novell.uidaho.edu



-RBA

* northern Idaho / eastern Washington / northeastern Oregon
* February 19, 1999
* IDWA9902.19

-birds mentioned

Eurasian Wigeon
Oldsquaw
Ross's Goose
either a Thayer's or Glaucous-winged Gull
Barn Owl
Long-eared Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Barred Owl
Snowy Owl
Blue Jay


-transcript

HOTLINE: northern Idaho / eastern Washington / northeastern Oregon
Date: February 19, 1999 Phone: (208) 882-6195
Compiler: Kas Dumroese Transcriber: Dale Goble
gobled at uidaho.edu


This is Kas Dumroese with the northern Idaho / eastern Washington /
northeastern Oregon bird hotline.

An OLDSQUAW is residing at Hat Rock State Park along US 730 about 8
miles east of Umatilla, Umatilla County, Oregon according to Craig
Corder and Judy Stevens who saw the bird on Feb 7. Dennis Rockwell
reports the bird was still present on Feb 11. OR DeLorme 85, A-8.

If you're still looking for SNOWY OWLS, try Moses Lake, Grant County,
Washington. Take I-90 exit 179 and go north past the mini-mart etc.
0.2 mile, then turn right (east) and go 1 mile to road L NE. Turn
left (north) onto L NE and start looking on both sides of the road for
the next two miles. The vicinity near Nelson Road seems best. Take
Nelson east 0.5 mile for more opportunities for owls. Early mornings
and late afternoons seem better. WA DeLorme 69, CD-6.5.

BLUE JAYS. Dale Goble reports one around his yard in Moscow, Latah
County, Idaho on Sun Feb 14. Dale lives on Homestead on Moscow's
north side. Dick Johnson reports two Whitman County, Washington. The
first bird was seem at Steptoe Butte SP just east of Steptoe. The
bird was seen by Bob Griffith along the road that heads to the top of
the butte, just past the restrooms near the little clump of trees on
Feb 15. WA DeLorme 73, D-6. That same day, Dick found a second jay
at Klemgard Park mid-way between Pullman and Colfax. This bird has
apparently been around for three weeks. To get to Klemgard, take US
195 north from Pullman toward Colfax. About half-way to Colfax, turn
left on Hamilton Road (at the sign for Klemgard Park) and follow
Hamilton about 2.5 miles before turning onto Union Flat Road. Follow
Union Flat about 200 yards to the park. Although the Washington
DeLorme doesn't show the park, it does show these roads on 57, A-6.

A ROSS'S GOOSE was in extreme southwestern Benton County, Washington
on the Umatilla NWR Whitcom Unit along Washington 14 on Feb 13
according to Craig Corder and Judy Stevens. The bird was on the
Columbia River with Canada Geese and was vary wary. WA DeLorme 28,
B-2.

Craig and Judy also found 5 LONG-EARED OWLS at the Columbia Crest
Winery at Patterson. The birds were roosting in the medium-sized
Austrian pines. The winery is north of Patterson along Washington
221. WA DeLorme 28, A-3.5.

All the rest of the sightings come from the Lewiston, Idaho /
Clarkston, Washington valley on Feb 13 and 14, and directions to all
these birds are the end of this report. There are 3 or so VIRGINIA
RAILS at the Lewiston sewage treatment plant. North of the plant in a
small cave in the rock cliff were 2 BARN OWLS. At Hell's Gate SP, the
HARRIS'S SPARROW, NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, and LONG-EARED OWL continue
to be seen. Across the river at Swallows Park just south of Clarkston
was a single drake EURASIAN WIGEON and a troublesome gull -- either a
first-winter THAYER'S GULL or first-winter GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL. I
originally was leaning toward Thayer's, but hindsight is going to
require me to go look at it again. The gulls lounge in the afternoon
on a mudflat. A BARRED OWL is at the National Park Service's
historical site in Spalding. First spotted by Rick Welle over a week
ago, the bird was still present today, Feb 19, according to Dick
Johnson. Thanks to Charles Swift and Dave and Paul Holick for their
sightings.

Here's a loop to see all these birds....

When entering Lewiston from the north, take US 12 into the town.
Before crossing the Clearwater River, turn right onto 3rd Avenue North
and follow it as it weaves its way back to the sewage treatment plant.
Backtrack to US 12, turn south and cross the bridge. Stay right past
the first traffic light and then turn right at the next light which is
18th Street, following the levee bypass around downtown Lewiston. The
bypass ends at Snake River Avenue -- turn right onto Snake River
Avenue and follow it to the entrance of Hell's Gate, about 3 miles.
Inside the park, look for the Harris's Sparrow just south of the
marina at the settling ponds, especially the north and west ends of
the northern most pond. Continue south into the park, cross Tammany
Creek and park in the parking lot on the right. Look for a Barn Owl
and the Long-eared Owl in the tall evergreens right next to the
parking lot right next to the children's play equipment. Walk south
past the restrooms and look in the clump of evergreens just south of
the gazebo on the beach side for the saw-whet. Back track north on
Snake River Avenue and take the Southgate Bridge to Washington. Take
the Asotin exit (second exit on right) and head south on Washington
129. Look for the last Swallows Nest parking area. Here's where the
gulls roost. Backtrack through Swallows Nest looking for the big
flock of grazing wigeons containing the lone Eurasian. To get to the
Barred Owl, head east from Lewiston on US 12 toward Lapwai. Just
after crossing the river, turn left into the Nez Perce historical site
and immediately turn right, heading down hill toward the picnic area.
At the stop sign, turn left and follow the road over the bridge to the
grove of trees / cemetery / picnic area. Park right next to the
porta-potty. Head straight toward the river from the toilet across an
open grassy area -- there's a line of blue spruce trees near the
river. Look in the second blue spruce from the west end, above the
fork, about 25' up. You may have to circle the tree for the best
angle. All of the Lewiston / Clarkston sites are described in A
Birder's Guide to Idaho, pages 83-87.

If you have any questions about the sightings, give me a call at
208/883-0943.

Good birding.