Word from Chelan isn't very optimistic with regard to the Northern Hawk Owl.
No one has apparently seen the bird now for several days. Jan & Dave Ellis
who live there and watch for it nearly every day during her morning walks
along the road said in an email read this evening that she hasn't seen it
since January 3rd. I know a few of you saw it within a few days after that,
and a lot of others tried (some repeatedly) and failed, but there has been
nothing positive to report now for at least a week. Jan will let me know if
she sees it again and I'll post an update to that effect. Otherwise, if
you're still over in the Chelan area and thinking of giving it a shot, you
can call or write ahead:
Jan and Dave Ellis, and son Seth,
telephone: 509-682-0640
email: djellis at nwi.net

Apparently the Chelan Hawk Owl was first observed in that area by a neighbor
of the Ellis' who's quite into and aware of birds, back sometime well BEFORE
the Chelan CBC. This further reinforces my suspicions that late fall / early
winter may be the best time for hope to stumble upon a Northern Hawk Owl in
the state of Washington. After the first of the year, sightings or at least
reports seem to drop off, and unless one is somewhere well established and
healthy (e.g. Cheney a few years ago), maybe they just go off and quietly die
somewhere or become prey for some other hawk or owl given their slightly
extralimital occurrence in unfamiliar surroundings along with their typical
conspicuous and confiding nature. Or, they could just move on although there
still remains the fact that in general, there are few 'new' reports from
around the state after the first of the year. I don't know; not much of a
data base to go on, but November - December (or even as early as about
mid-October) may be the best months to be especially watchful.

Richard Rowlett (Pterodroma at aol.com)
47.56N, 122.13W
Bellevue (Eastgate), WA, USA