Subject: Bridgeport-Mansfield Area Winter Birding
Date: Dec 31 10:27:08 2003
From: Gary Fredricks - fredricks at worldaccessnet.com


Tweeters,

I just returned from a great extended weekend searching for winter
nomadic species in the
Bridgeport area and had a few sightings I thought others might be
interested in. On the morning
of December 28 at first light, I had about 60 common REDPOLLS feeding on
water birch trees
about half way up Bridgeport Hill Road (no sharp-tailed grouse). Up on
the plateau I encountered
patchy thick fog (and 4-6" snow) over much of the area. The fog was
particularly thick in the
area south and east of Mansfield (Atkins Lake area). A pair of tree
sparrows were in the pine
grove west of Lamoine on highway 172 and another was found in the
thicket just south of 172
along Heritage (Woods) Road east of Mansfield (the comparison between
the road signs in this
area and the DeLorme Atlas is really messy!!). I encountered several
flocks of horned larks but
no snow buntings until I found one SNOW BUNTING in a large flock of
horned larks (mostly
the pale arctic subspecies) late in the day just west of Heritage Road
along 172. There was also a
flock of 15 REDPOLLS feeding on weed seeds in this same area along
Mansfield Road just north
of 172. In my travels on the plateau I also encountered seven NORTHERN
SHRIKES, one
PRAIRIE FALCON and only one ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. The next morning (12/29) I
again searched Bridgeport Hill Road, no redpolls this time but I was
rewarded with my first
Washington SHARP-TAILED GROUSE feeding on birch buds in the same thicket
where I saw
the redpolls the day before. Just before dropping down into Central
Ferry Canyon I encountered
three SNOW BUNTINGS feeding on mullein stalks along the road. As I
passed the Brewster
Bridge (Highway 173) an adult GOSHAWK flew over the road and I
encountered a flock of 150
or so BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS sunning in a cottonwood along Moe Road on the
Bridgeport
Bar. Found another 100 or so BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS feeding on some fruiting
trees down
in a draw about half way up the hill on Cameron Lake Road and near the
top I was inundated by
a swirling flock of 700+ SNOW BUNTINGS while watching a small flock of
horned larks.
There was another small flock of 10 SNOW BUNTINGS along the first mile
of Timentwa Road
and a flock of 20 or so RED CROSSBILLS feeding in a Ponderosa as I
passed through the pines
on the way down to Okanogan. Stopped by Daroga State Park and found the
BLACK & WHITE
WARBLER as mentioned earlier by Phil Mattocks. On my way home yesterday
(12/30) I
noticed a flock of dark colored birds off to the west of highway 97 just
over the hill from
Toppenish Refuge (at the intersection of Oak Springs Road). These
turned out to be a huge flock
of 600 + GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCHES feeding and swirling along the
hillside. Just past
Lyle along the lower east end of Old Highway No. 8 there was a large
flock of 60+ LESSER
GOLDFINCHES feeding in the weedy area west of the road. Temps were in
the low teens at
night and mid twenties during the day, excellent winter birding weather
(except the fog on
Waterville Plateau!). The roads were mostly snow covered and good tires
and four-wheel drive
are definite assets!
Have a great birding new year!

Gary Fredricks
Washougal