Marcus and Tweeters,
I know it wasn't the "meat" of your report, but I was glad to see the comment about tree perching Spotted Sandpipers. There was one atop a willow tree at the pond at Madigan Hospital today doing that same single call note over and over. I thought I was seeing (and hearing) things!
-Rolan

Marcus.D.Roening at gsk.com wrote:
Tweets,

On July 5th, Heather and I joined in the apparent human migration to the
Okanogan for the 4th of July weekend. Our goal was to locate a breeding
Northern Waterthrush. Since Tom Aversa reported on June 27th a singing
Waterthrushes outside of Molson, and a possible Alder Flycatcher we made
that our first destination.

We located the very cooperative flycatcher right next to the road in the
lone live conifer on Mary Ann Rd ,just past Dart (not Dot) Road. It loved
to perch on the barb wire fence 6' away at eye level. Normally this would
be an ideal situation, but we needed the bird to talk or sing and it was
remarkably quiet. We spent the better part of an hour waiting for it to
talk, while being entertained with Spotted Sandpipers landing on the tops
of small trees, while making loud pipping calls. I haven't seen this type
of behavior in Spotted Sandpipers before, although I have watched Greater
Yellowlegs singing from the top of Spruce Trees in Alaska - it kind of
throws you off balance the first time around.

Well the bird finally did two distinct 3 part calls that sounded like a
fee-bew (buzzy)-o and later 2 pip or whit call note. I'd be hard pressed
to claim it wasn't a whit note, just that it didn't sound the same as the
half a dozen other Willow Flycatcher notes nearby.

At the end of the hour, a tried one last test. I walked down the fence
line and played an Alder Flycatcher song twice and nothing happened as
watched by Heather 6' away. I walked back and chatted with Heather about
it while the flycatcher continued about its business and found a good bug
on the other side of the road. So then I played one song of the Willow
Flycatcher and the bird rocketed across the road and landed on the fence in
front of us. I didn't repeat this test as it appeared a pretty clear
response. I'd be happy to hear any other comments.

And I did finally manage to find a Northern Waterthrush singing at the
Marsh on Kipling Road (NE of Havillah) - that leaves only one breeding bird
in WA left to see, a sharp-tailed grouse.

Other trip highlights:

Freeze-out Ridge on FR39 NE of Winthrop: BOREAL CHICKADEES, SINGING
TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES & HORNED LARKS

Roger Lake: no spruce grouse, but 2 families of NORTHERN THREE-TOED
WOODPECKERS 150 yds down the trail on the south side of the lake. The
young bird - teenager by the size, was making a non-stop call that reminded
me of a Red Squirrel alarm chatter. The youngster made this noise for a
minimum of a half an hour - I'm sure the parents couldn't wait to have him
move out. I found another nest about 50 yds. to the south the same way.

Good Birding,

Marcus Roening
Tacoma, WA
marcus.d.roening at gsk.com






Rolan Nelson
Burley, WA
rnbuffle at yahoo.com

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