Subject: today in Twisp-Bridgeport-Mansfield
Date: Dec 27 21:04:57 2001
From: Hal Opperman - hal at catharus.net


Steve Gerstle and I drove over to Twisp this morning, arriving at the
Dunn feeders around 10:00. We stayed for about an hour in the
company of several other visitors, observing several Common Redpolls
and other finches as well as a pair of Downy Woodpeckers and a
White-breasted Nuthatch -- but no Yellow-throated Warbler. A
Northern Pygmy-Owl was tooting intermittently from a tree-lined
ravine across the road. Steve and I then decided to go check the
other address, on Bergar Street across the river ... and walked right
up to the bird, which was in the small tree with apples at the end of
the driveway, loudly chipping.

A visit to Bridgeport, including the fabulous feeder operation at
Meredith and Dave Spencer's house a few blocks from the church where
the Brambling was originally reported, produced George Gerdts and
Jamie Acker as well as more redpolls, goldfinches, and the like, but
no Brambling.

We came back to I-90 via Bridgeport Hill Road (no grouse), Mansfield,
and Sims Corner. Lots of Horned Larks up on the plateau. One large
flock (200-300) along SR-17, between mileposts 110 and 111 not far
north of 12 NE, had quite a few Snow Buntings mixed in -- maybe a
dozen or more but hard to count with the birds flying around
frequently. There was also one Lapland Longspur in a smaller flock
of Horned Larks along SR-172 just west of Mansfield.

Hal Opperman
Medina, Washington
hal at catharus.net