I spent a week in the Okanogan camping with the family over the 4th of July
weekend. This is our 8th year at the same location, I enjoy seeing the
changes in birds seen over the years. This is not a birding trip, but I
still managed to see some interesting things with casual observation in the
area. We stay at the Sun Cove resort on Wannacut Lake, north and west from
Tonasket. The road into the resort is fairly reliable for Lewis's
Woodpecker, and the road north of the resort by Blue Lake is good for all 6
swallow species. Best find this year were some small ponds just south of
Molson, north and east from Oroville. A sign on the road said "Watch out for
wildlife", so I obediently pulled off the road and watched. I was rewarded
with great looks at many species of waterfowl (including all 3 teal
species), shorebirds, my second life view of Black Tern, and a great look at
a Golden Eagle, making a low pass over the ponds and sending the other birds
scurrying for cover. Compared to Bald Eagles, the Golden looked remarkably
small-headed with beautiful golden bands across the upper wings. The species
list is below, I have two ID challenges that I will address in a separate
post.

SPECIES SEEN
7/4/1999 ~ Sun Cove~ 64 seen
GREBES
Red-necked Grebe
DUCKS, SWANS, GEESE
Ruddy Duck
Canada Goose
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Common Goldeneye
NEW WORLD VULTURES
Turkey Vulture
OSPREY
Osprey
HAWKS, EAGLES AND KITES
Red-tailed Hawk
FALCONS AND CARACARAS
American Kestrel
WOOD-PARTRIDGES
California Quail
RAILS AND COOTS
American Coot
SANDPIPERS
Spotted Sandpiper
PLOVERS AND LAPWINGS
Killdeer
GULLS AND TERNS
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull
LOONS
Common Loon
PIGEONS AND DOVES
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
NIGHTJARS
Common Nighthawk
HUMMINGBIRDS
Calliope Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
KINGFISHERS
Belted Kingfisher
WOODPECKERS
Lewis's Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
TYRANT FLYCATCHERS
Western Wood-Pewee
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Say's Phoebe
Western Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
WAXWINGS AND SILKY-FLYCATCHERS
Cedar Waxwing
THRUSHES
Western Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
Townsend's Solitaire
American Robin
MOCKINGBIRDS AND THRASHERS
Gray Catbird
WRENS
House Wren
SWALLOWS
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow
CHICKADEES, TITS
Black-capped Chickadee
OLD WORLD SPARROWS
House Sparrow
SISKINS, CROSSBILLS AND ALLIES
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Purple Finch
Cassin's Finch
NEW WORLD WARBLERS
Yellow Warbler
BUNTINGS, SPARROWS, TANAGERS, ALLIES
Chipping Sparrow
Brewer's Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
Western Tanager
BLACKBIRDS, GRACKLES, ORIOLES
Bullock's Oriole
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Brewer's Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird


SPECIES SEEN
All Dates ~ in Molson ~ 13 seen
DUCKS, SWANS, GEESE
Gadwall
Green-winged Teal
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Lesser Scaup
HAWKS, EAGLES AND KITES
Golden Eagle
FALCONS AND CARACARAS
American Kestrel
SANDPIPERS
Greater Yellowlegs
Sanderling
GULLS AND TERNS
Black Tern
BLACKBIRDS, GRACKLES, ORIOLES
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird




Jack Stephens
jsteph02 at sprynet.com
Edmonds, WA