Tweeters,

The Yellow-throated Warbler continues to be seen in Twisp. It was noted both
22 and 23 December, especially early in the morning. The bird is a beauty!
An absolutely stunning study in yellow, black, and gray. This guy allows
close looks, too, as it pecks at frozen apples.

It appears to frequent Richard Murrays home early in the morning. Here are
directions: go to the north end of Twisp on SR-153. Go north over the Twisp
River, and take the 1st left. This is Ainsworth. Shortly, this road makes a
90-degree bend to the right and becomes Burgar. The 2nd home on the left is
Richards (311). The feeders are to the rear of the house. Richards phone #
is 509-997-2819.

Another feeder this bird is frequenting is the suet feeder at the mobile
home belonging to Dave Dunn. This is # 62 on Magers Street, just across the
Twisp River from Richards home. To reach this place, go left (west) from
SR-153 on Twisp Avenue (unmarked on the highway, but just south ofthe Twisp
River bridge) and go west 0.1 mile to Magars Street. This leads down into a
mobile home park. On the west side of # 62 are several really nice feeders,
including one with suet. The warbler was seen there at 9 am the 22nd, and
between 2 and 3 pm the 22nd. On the 23rd, it was noted at 8 am, but promptly
flew across the river to Richards feeder and apples. Dave says the
Yellow-throated Warbler has been there since 8 December.

Bohemian Waxwings are frequenting Mountain Ash trees on Burgar, and redpolls
were noted around, too. We also saw Cooper's Hawk, Golden Eagle, and Merlin
from Richards yard.

Another fine area to bird in the neighborhood is to take the Twisp River
Road west from SR-153 to the first left, which is Lookout Mountain Road. We
enjoyed walking this road uphill for a half mile. In the first stretch,
there is a large ornamental birch heavily laden with seed. This tree had 50+
redpolls, a few goldfinches, and a number of House Finches. A White-breasted
Nuthatch was in the nearby introduced tamarack. Farther, a barn is on your
left, with a rocky bluff, covered in forest and brush on the right. We had
70 Wild Turkeys floundering up the steep, snow-covered slopes here. One
Chukar was here, also, seemingly in habitat too moist for this species. A
bluebird or two, possibly Westerns, called. There is a sign here stating: "
Warning This road patrolled 3 days a week with shotgun. You guess which 3
days." But, it appears to be okay to bird from the road.

North of Winthrop on the East Chewuch Road, we watched a flock of about 100
Bohemian Waxwings get harassed silly by a Townsend's Solitaire. It appeared
as if the waxwings might have descended on the solitaires "patch," which was
a thicket of Wild Rose. Neither Mike Denny, nor myself, who also witnessed
the solitaire chasing the waxwings, had ever witnessed this sort of
behaviour from the normally mild-mannered solitaire.

Birds noted in the Methow River basin by Ellen and myself:

Pied-billed Grebe - 1 Methow River at Pateros
Horned Grebe - 2, as above
Great Blue Heron - 3
Canada Goose - 50, Methow River at Pateros
Mallard - 50 "
Gadwall - 30 "
Eurasian Wigeon - 1 "
American Wigeon - 75 "
Ring-necked Duck - 2 "
Common Goldeneye - 35 "
Barrow's Goldeneye - 5 "
Bufflehead -1 "
Hooded Merganser - 3 "
Bald Eagle - 10
Cooper's Hawk - 1 adult
Red-tailed Hawk - 5
Golden Eagle - 1
Merlin - 1
Chukar - 1
Wild Turkey - 70
California Quail - 15
Ring-billed Gull - 2, Methow River at Pateros
Mourning Dove - 15, Winthrop
Belted Kingfisher - 1
Downy Woodpecker - 3
Northern Flicker - 5
Steller's Jay - 1
Black-billed Magpie - 10
American Crow - 5
Common Raven - 25+
Black-capped Chickadee - 50+
Mountain Chickadee - 3
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 5
White-breasted Nuthatch - 1
American Dipper - 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet - 5
Bluebird, sp. - 2
Townsend's Solitaire - 2
Varied Thrush - 1
Bohemian Waxwing - 250+
European Starling - 100+, seems you can't escape 'em
Yellow-throated Warbler - 1
Song Sparrow - 1
Dark-eyed Junco - 25+
Pine Grosbeak - 5, East Chewuch Road, in orchard on east side of road beyond
Pearrygin Lake turnoff
House Finch - 50
Common Redpoll - 75+
Pine Siskin - 1
American Goldfinch - 25
House Sparrow - 100

We also noted quite a number of Mule Deer right along the highway, in
orchards, and even yards. One Douglas Squirrel was awake and about in
Richard's yard.

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA
steppie at nwinfo.net







Richard welcomes birders!