- RBA

* northern Idaho / eastern Washington / northeastern Oregon
* as above
* February 10, 2003
* IDWA0302.10

- birds mentioned

Yellow-billed Loon
Long-tailed Duck
Glaucous Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Western Gull
Snowy Owl
Short-eared Owl
Harris's Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
Snow Bunting
Lapland Longspur

- transcript

hotline: northern Idaho / eastern Washington / northeastern Oregon
Date: February 10, 2003
Phone: (208) 882-6195
Compiler: Kas Dumroese
Transcriber: Kas Dumroese - dumroese at iglide dot net

This is Kas Dumroese with the Northern Idaho / Eastern Washington /
Northeastern Oregon bird hotline for Monday 10 February (2003). This
hotline, sponsored by Palouse Audubon, is usually updated every Monday
evening. Transcripts of this RBA and membership info are available on-line
at http://www.palouseaudubon.org

Leave a message anytime during this recording by pressing 2 and then #.
Please give me good directions, your fellow birdwatchers will appreciate it.

I received several reports of SNOW BUNTINGS this week. On 6 Feb, Dave
Beaudette reports "large" flocks along E NW just north of US 2 west of
Farmer, Douglas Co WA (WA DeLorme 84, D-2), along G NE east of WA 17 and
along US 2 near Atkins Lake, about 8 miles west of Coulee City (WA DeLorme
85, D-5). Together, Dave estimated more than 4000 birds and a single LAPLAND
LONGSPUR at the G NE site. On 8 Feb Mike and MerryLynn Denny report 500+
SNOW BUNTINGS near US 2 milepost 184 on the Waterville Plateau and 2 more
birds along P NE about 2 miles west of WA 17 northwest of Coulee city, along
with 7 LAPLAND LONGSPURS (WA DeLorme 85, C-5). Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
report 400+ SNOW BUNTINGS along WA 172, Douglas Co, on 8 Feb, and a flock of
nearly 5,000 SNOW BUNTINGS along US 2, between mileposts 182 and 184, near
Atkins Lake, along with 8 LAPLAND LONGSPURS.

SNOWY OWLS. Mike and MerryLynn Denny report 2 birds southeast of Moses Lake,
Grant Co WA on 7 Feb. Owl #1 was on a wheel line just to the northeast of
the junction of L SE and 5 SE beyond an abandoned brick home. Owl #2 was
half way between L SE and M SE just to the north of 4 SE. WA DeLorme 69,
D-6.5. These road are between WA 17 and Potholes Reservoir.

On the Columbia River at Wanapum Dam south of Vantage, Kittitas Co WA the
YELLOW-BILLED LOON is still persisting below the dam, as it has for about 2
months. Patrick and Ruth Sullivan saw the bird on 10 Feb along with a
first-year GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL. Wanapum Dam is about 5 miles south of
Vantage on the Columbia River. WA DeLorme 52, A-1.

An ad GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL was at the north end of Banks Lake at Electric
City, Grant Co WA on 10 Feb according to Patrick and Ruth Sullivan. WA
DeLorme 85, A-8.

Two LONG-TAILED DUCKS were seen in the Clearwater River, Lewiston, Nez Perce
Co ID on 7 Feb by Keith Carlson, 8 Feb by Jane Westervelt, and 9 Feb by
Carole Vande Voorde. Look for the birds between the railroad bridge and the
grain terminal. Gulls in and around Lewiston and Clarkston included a
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL near the confluence on 7 Feb by Keith Carlson, a
GLAUCOUS GULL on the Snake near the Port of Wilma and an adult
GLAUCOUS-WINGED at the Clarkston landfill at the top of Evans Road on 8 Feb
according to Jane Westervelt, and the ad WESTERN GULL at Kiwanis Park on the
Snake River just north of the US 12 bridge on the Idaho side on 7 Feb by me.
ID DeLorme 54, A-1.

A lone female LONG-TAILED DUCK was on Lake Pend Oreille just south of
Sandpoint, Bonner Co ID on 6 Feb according to Stephen Lindsay. The bird was
observed from the US 95 bridge. ID DeLorme 62, BC-2.

In Colville, Stevens Co WA, Warren Current reports a single HARRIS'S SPARROW
and 4 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS in the weedy lot on the north side of the Rural
Resources buildling. WA DeLorme 118, D-1.

Dave Holick reports 4 SHORT-EARED OWLS cavorting northeast of Moscow, Latah
Co ID on 7 Feb. Call Dave for directions at 208.882.5556.

If you have any questions about birds on the report, call me before 9 pm at
208.883.0943. If you see any of the birds mentioned in this report, be sure
to let me know.

Good birding.

Kas