Subject: week end birding
Date: Mar 4 19:42:58 2003
From: Marv Breece - mbreece at foxinternet.net


A three day week end allowed me to do some birding in Kittitas, Grant,
Lincoln and Douglas counties.

As I drove thru Bellevue early Saturday (3/1) morning, a BARN OWL flew
alongside my car at I90 and Bellevue Way. A good omen, methought.

In S Cle Elum were EVENING GROSBEAK, VARIED THRUSH and a slate-colored DARK
EYED JUNCO.

Near Vantage, the YELLOW-BILLED LOON was at home, barely below Wanapum Dam.
COMMON LOONS were also there. Along Huntzinger Road was a pair of CANYON
WRENS . One disappeared into the rocks with what I believed to be nesting
material. Three WHITE PELICAN were downstream. A vocal SAY'S PHOEBE
appeared at the dam.

At the I90 exit for Hwy 283 east of George a single BURROWING OWL was at the
4X4 post.

On to Moses Lake, where I could not find a SNOWY OWL. I looked in the
neighborhood of 4th, 5th and "L" , SE of town. Looked hard; no owl.

Sunday (3/2/03) morning at 8:00AM there were 15 male GREATER SAGE GROUSE at
the Leahy lek. They were all in full display at once and all in clear view
as seen from my car with a window mounted scope. No females at all in the
1.5 hours I was there. The BLUE JAY was in Bridgeport, at 4th and Fairview.
I had given up after walking Fairview and was driving away, when I heard and
then saw the bird. This was at 10AM. On Monday I saw the bird again at 4PM
at 6th and Fairview. This time the jay came very close in response to
pishing, responding with a variety of calls. If you have never heard a Blue
Jay carry on, you're missing something. The bird was alone on both
occasions. There was also a MERLIN in Bridgeport. At Bridgeport State Park
was a huge flock of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS. Easily over 100 birds.

There were several TREE SPARROWS at the Bridgeport bar on Grange Road.
Also, I saw one SAVANNAH SPARROW. I did not find the recently reported
SWAMP SPARROW. But the ROSS'S GOOSE was on the river, as were 8 TUNDRA
SWANS and 1 WHITE PELICAN. The Ross's Goose looks like an adult bird now,
much different than the immature plumage it sported when I saw it on Dec 15
of last year.

At 5:30 there was a pair of SHORT EARED OWLS working the fields north of Hwy
2 near Atkins Lake.

Monday (03/03/03) I left the Ala Cozy Motel in Coulee City early, heading
for Lincoln County. Before I hit the county line a GREAT HORNED OWL flew
across the road. Then, while entering Wilbur, another GHOW was perched on a
road sign. But I missed the SNOWY OWL I searched for around Davenport. The
cemetery there produced PINE SISKIN, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH and RED
CROSSBILL.

Heading west again along Hwy 2, on a hunch I decided to travel Alderson Rd
near Wilbur. Mark Houston and I saw 2 GYRFALCONS in that area on 11/26/01.
And yesterday on Alderson Road between Hwy 174 and Sheffels Rd was an adult
gray GYRFALCON perched on a pole. This bird looked very much like the gyr
that has spent the winter at Snohomish. A nice treat.

At Moses Coulee it was pretty easy to find a singing SAGE SPARROW. To this
point I had not seen a SNOW BUNTING, so I decided to wind my way to
Bridgeport again, and drive a few roads on the Waterville Platueu. No SNBU,
but I got a very nice look at a juv. GOLDEN EAGLE on Bridgeport Road.

No SNOWY OWL or SNOW BUNTING (go figure) for the trip.

Still....

It was a good week end.

Marv Breece
Seattle, WA