Subject: Hoary Redpoll near Electric City,Grant County
Date: Jan 6 11:31:33 2002
From: Ruth Sullivan - godwit at worldnet.att.net


Hello Tweets,

Yesterday(January 5th)my mother and participated on the Grand Coulee CBC
along with 17 other participants with fairly good conditions throughout most
of the day, but some occasional wind and minor snow/rain showers in our
personal area, where the main highlight was a female HOARY REDPOLL found,
well observed, and photographed at a feeder residence south of Electric
City(accessed off of Hwy.155)in Grant County. We located the bird upon
searching for feeders within our personal route after 12pm, where the bird
was observed from 12:40pm-1:50pm. The bird was immediately picked out from a
flock of 18 Common Redpolls and 43 American Goldfinches that were located
upon our arrival in our Leica spotting scope. The bird showed an obvious
white rump(visible in perched bird, as well as in flight), paler upperparts
and underparts than the nearby smaller,more slender Common Redpolls. The
side and flanks showed very fine steaking, but the undertail coverts and
belly were completely white, but the clear upper breast showed some faint
buffy washing along with the facial area. The overall color of the face and
upperparts were more pale buffier(dingy white) than we had expected, as the
cheeks were pale, but NOT completely white, but noticeably paler than the
darker nearby Common Redpolls. The white wing bars were more broader and
apparent than the nearby Common Redpolls, showing more more white also in
the secondaries. The overall size of the bird was noticeably slightly
larger, plumper, shorter-necked, slightly shorter billed, and stockier than
the nearby darker Common Redpolls, making ALL the listed features apparent
to locate the bird at the thistle feeder, and in several decidious tress on
the residence. The bird at times would attempt to forage at the feeder, but
was somewhat less bold than the more aggressive American Goldfinches, which
allowed the Common Redpolls to feed. The Hoary Redpoll due to being in
company of other finches near/and at a feeder should remain, as birders from
the CBC were planning to look for it. The flock of 18 Common Redpolls was
our personal largest flock of the day, with 2 additional birds noted near
the Grand Coulee Airport, but a flock of 90 birds was noted by Meredith
Spencer in another area within the count circle. Surprisingly NO waxwings of
either species were noted. The preliminary results for the Grand Coulle CBC
were a total of 84 species, but some additional count week birds could be
found and added.

The notable highlights observed within our area, and to and from
destinations in the Grand Coulee/Electric City area, along with an hour of
owling in Northrup Canyon) from 6:05am-7am inncluded:

1 Eared Grebe
1 CLARK'GREBE(with nearby Western Grebes)
20 Red-breasted Mergansers(high count), with additional birds noted in other
areas.
1 GYRFALCON
1 Western Screech Owl
5 Northern Saw-whet Owls
1 Hairy Woodpecker
1 Brown Creeper
9 Canyon Wrens
1 Hermit Thrush
2 Varied Thrushes
1 Northern Shrike
1 white-striped WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
20 Common Redpolls
1 HOARY REDPOLL

A few other highlights noted in others areas included within the count
included:

4 Greater Scaup
2 Prairie Falcons
2 WILD TURKEYS
20 BAND-TAILED PIGEONS(observed by Bob Flores and Randy Hill, which is a
very high count for this seldom reported species within inland WA)
1 Steller's Jay
4 Gray-crowned Rosy Finches

Upon our trip home after 6pm the weather conditions decreased with light
snow/rain showers starting in Ephrata to Vantage, then turning to complete
moderae to heavy snow showers from Ellensburg to just west of Snoqualmie
Pass along I-90, then turning to heavy rain(with moderate wind)to about the
Tiger Summit area, so we left home in the dark and came home in the dark
with 22 hours on the road.


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net