Spruce Grouse! They do exist! Well at least the Franklin's Grouse form.
Brooke McDonald, a friend from California and myself took a little trek to
the Okanogan National Forest via Winthrop starting out on Forest Road 37,
where at the base of the road we encountered several swifts, includeing 3
BLACK SWIFTS in a group of VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS and VAUX'S SWIFTS. It was
already late afternoon on the 20th, so we didn't get much birding in after
this, just enough time to travel up FR 39 to the Tiffany Springs Campground
and set up camp and wait for the morning. And was it a COLD night and
morning! We started on the 21st at Roger Lake, not much going on there, just
a large group of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and a calling THREE-TOED WOODPECKER
(one was also at the campground in the early AM aswell) A trek up the
Freezeout Trail to Whistler Pass proved profitable, flushing 5 BLUE GROUSE
(yet no spruce) and encountering a juvenile NORTHERN GOSHAWK perched in a
small spruce tree. At the Pass, there were 3 AMERICAN KESTRELS riding the
thermals, all males. BOREAL CHICKADEES were encountered at the base of the
trail. Actually we had several flocks of these birds, never have I been up
in this area and the BOREALS outnumbering the MOUNTAIN CHICKADEES. as
Mountains were hard to come by, with all calling Chickadee groups were found
to be BOREAL'S, but I was not complaining! Though I was getting a bit
discouraged, as it was about 5PM in the afternoon, and still no Spruce
Grouse. I have made several trips up to this area in the last few years and
have ALWAYS struck out on this species. But after a gormet dinner or Mac N
Cheese, Brooke decided to take a walk down the Tiffany Lake Trail. I cleaned
up the campsite, put all the food away, since the GRAY JAYS had already eaten
up all my cookies. After I had put up the food and cooking equipment in my
car, I headed down the trail. I met up with brooke about halfway down and
she's telling me to grab my camera! 'I have a Spruce Grouse!" I basically
said forget the camera, I want to see this bird for myself. The light was
fading and there was no way a shot would come out anyways. We walked down
the trail to where she had the bird and I spotted it feeding on the hillside
in some low vegetation. A MALE FRANKLIN'S SPRUCE GROUSE! Every field mark
fit, the black throat, the red around the eye that would be the eye-comb when
erect, and the white spots on the upper-tail coverts. Though the spots
looked about twice the size on the real bird than shown in the Natl Geo
Guide. It was very tame and lived up to its nickname "foolhen" allowing
quite a close approach. Satisfied finally with seeing this nemesis bird of
mine, we camped for the night, but not before trying half-heartedly to owl
for Boreal Owl, with no luck. We left the Forest early on the 22nd,
encountering a few new trip species, CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD, OLIVE-SIDED
FLYCATCHER....
We encountered a Black Bear on the drive out on Toates Coulee Road and about
10 LEWIS'S WOODPECKERS near Loomis.
Well thats about it, Good Birding!

Okanongan National Forest Species

8/20 8/21 8/22
Black Swift 3 - -
Vaux's Swift 5 - -
Violet-green Swallow 15 - -
Dark-eyed Junco 20 20 20
American Robin 3 2 -
Clark's Nutcracker 15 18 5
Yellow-rumped Warbler 8 40 15
Boreal Chickadee 10 20 2
Mountain Chickadee 3 4 -
Hermit Thrush 2 3 2
Gray Jay 10 20 5
Golden-crowned Kinglet 5 5 -
Pine Sisken 2 2 4
Red Crossbill 3 3 -
Three-toed Woodpecker 2 5 -
Northern Flicker - 4 -
Red-tailed Hawk - 3 -
Blue Grouse - 5 1
Spruce Grouse - 1 -
American Kestrel - 3 -
Mountain Bluebird - 6 -
Chipping Sparrow - 3 -
Northern Goshawk - 1 -
Hairy Woodpecker - 2 -
Lincoln's Sparrow - 4 -
Varied Thrush - 2 -
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 2 -
Olive-sided Flycatcher - - 1
Calliope Hummingbird - - 1
Townsend's Solitaire - - 1

MAMMALS
Red Squirrel 8 15 4
Yellow-pine Chipmunk 4 6 2
Mule Deer 7 - -
Marmot (I believe Hoary) - 1 1
Snowshoe Hare - 1 -
Black Bear - - 1 (half grown bear cub)

Stop along Soap Lake on the way home gave us 2 BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS in a group
of WESTERN SANDPIPERS.

Ryan Shaw
Lacey, WA
RTShaw80 at aol.com
http://hometown.aol.com//rtshaw80/index.html