Subject: SPRUCE GROUSE at bunchgrass meadows
Date: Sep 4 21:26:03 2002
From: Ruth Sullivan - GODWIT at worldnet.att.net


Hello Tweeters,
First i like to thank Charles Swift for inspiring me to look for Dragonflies
again.I became real motivaded writing to him where to find certain species
of Dragonflies.A lot of birders asking me wy i dont write up some of my
adventures going in to unknown places.So by this saying,i got started again
looking and looking to find anything what moves.On the way to Bunchgrass
Meadow Patrick had to look at any pond for Shorebirds,he becomes almost
upsessed with shorebirds,and find this year alone 5 Bar-tailed Godwits.All
of this birds was ducomented with photos.The last two birds in Ocean Shores
two males side by side was looked at today by Dennis Paulson.Also on our
trip this weekend we had one Spruce Grouse on the way to Bunchgrass Meadow.I
looked at the photos and it proved that this bird we saw was indeed a Spruce
Grouse right on the road.
We spend so much time in places that we arrived pretty late at our
destination.I been there two years ago,strictly for Dragonflies.There you
can find the rare Zigzag Darner.There are thre places only where this
species can be found the places are Rogers Lake and Long Swamp.The wind
picked up shortly after we arrived ,and it was pretty slow seeing only two
Zigzag and two Mountain Emeralds with only one Ringed Emeralds.This Emeralds
are only sighted in higher elevation and are special jewels with a green
Emerald head.
As in earlier times i visit there,there where so many Emeralds you could not
count,that is the same the same for the Zigzag Darners with many Hudsonion
Whiteface and lot's of Damsels.So basicly we was to late in the season.But
the cancelation was that we birded to dark and had many birds as
White -winged Crossbills,Mountain Chickadees with most all birds close,and
a Nothern Pygmy-Owl sitting close by hooting for ever where we camped the
night.We had six Kestrels sitting perched on high dead trees four at one
tree over the march.I was thinking this birds could easely feed on
Dragonflies,wy would there be so many Kestrels?
The next morning it was cold and cloudy so we decided to leave there was no
Dragonflies comming out to later.So we ended up again at Frater lake on Hyw
20 what was on our trip the most sucessfull place finding 5 species of
Darners and the smal Spotted Spreadwings with many species of Meadowhawks
what we repeated on most all other places we visit.But on great finding
there was the Zigzag Darner,a new place for this species,what was
ducomented by collecting them.We visiting from there to Twin Lakes,what
absolutly had no Dragonflies at all,wy?I real dont know this was full of
Dragonflies few years ago.Long drive to Big Meadows from Collville on Aladin
Rd.Verry nice Campground with a big lake,many Darners,but since this was
high elevation again no other species,but again a surprise onother Zigzag
Darner onother side record,so it is unknown where all this species can be
found.There i saw my first Goshawk perched.I have been seeing so manny birds
of this kind,but never seeing the perched what a trat this was.The next day
again cold and windy with cloudy sky,so we birded again and ended up at
Summit Lake what,what gos of OrovilleToroda Creek Rd.By the time we got
there the Sun this came out,and we found almost every species we already
had only more.Patrick never catched a Dragonflies,but we was almost fighting
who gets the Net and it became ovius,that Patrick was almost hooked on this
hobby.He later collected the kind of hard to find Dragonflie the Western
Pondhawk in this area .This Dragonflie is powder with a black head midium
size and perches on the edge of lakes.A very attractive critter,there is
only onother Dragonflie what is partly blue,the Blue Dasher what got the
abdomen all blue compare much smaler but a fast flyer.This Dragonflie we
found on the Fort Okanagon with many other smal Damsels,and the Juvenile
Sabine's Gull.What a wonderfull trip this was,it is hard to come back to
reality,it's like you live in wonderland for ever.

Ruth Sullivan
Tacoma