Subject: Fort Simcoe
Date: Jan 7 19:08:17 1999
From: Andy Stepniewski - steppie at wolfenet.com


Richard and Tweeters,

Gosh, Richard, you let the cat outta the bag! My fantasy was that Denny and
I would chance upon an Acorn Woodpecker at Fort Simcoe on our visit. It was
just fantasy, cause we had to be content with those gorgeous Lewis's.

By the way, one of my uncles (George Lewis, now 84) is an avid birder who
lives in Solihull England. Back about 1980, I showed him his lifer Lewis's
Woodpecker at Fort Simcoe one beautiful May day. He jokingly commented
after viewing the Lewis's Woodpeckers stunning crimson-pink underparts, jet
black upperparts and skilled flycatching habits was "Jolly good, I want to
say how very much I appreciate them naming this beautiful bird for me."

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA
----------
> From: Pterodroma at aol.com
> To: TWEETERS at u.washington.edu; steppie at wolfenet.com
> Subject: Re: Fort Simcoe
> Date: Thursday, January 07, 1999 9:44 AM
>
> 99-01-07, steppie at wolfenet.com writes:
>
> << I would like to add that we also went to Fort Simcoe State Park west
of
> Toppenish. There were at least 75, possibly more than 100 Lewis's
Woodpeckers
> .... These charismatic woodpeckers are not always here in winter,
probably due
> to crop failure of acorn mast in some years. The numbers of Lewis's
> Woodpeckers at Fort Simcoe now are less than the 200+ in these oaks in
October
> (fide Fred Bird).
>
> As Fort Simcoe is (or was) on the hit list of state parks to be closed
due to
> state budget woes, I feel it's important that birders and naturalists
> recognize this important area for Garry oaks (and for its historical
values)
> so that it continues as a park. >>
>
> Good heavens! An impressive winter aggregation of Lewis's Woodpeckers
indeed!
> I seem to have overlooked Fort Simcoe in Wahl & Paulson nor was I aware
of the
> importance of Garry Oaks there. In your opinion, does this area appear
to
> have potential to support an as yet undiscovered colony of Acorn
Woodpeckers
> which otherwise as is currently known reach their northern marginal
limits
> only in south-central Washington near Lyle, Klickitat Co? Lesser
Goldfinch?
>
> Richard Rowlett (Pterodroma at aol.com)
> 47.56N, 122.13W
> (Seattle/Bellevue, WA, USA)