Subject: RBA: N ID / E WA / NE OR -- 02/16/2004
Date: Feb 16 20:24:59 2004
From: The Dumroese Family - dumroese at iGlide.net


- RBA

* northern Idaho / eastern Washington / northeastern Oregon
* as above
* February 16, 2004
* IDWA04.02.16

- birds mentioned

Yellow-billed Loon
Green-winged (Common/Eurasian) Teal
Eurasian Wigeon
Northern Goshawk
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Mew Gull
Thayer's Gull
Glaucous Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Baird's Sandpiper
Great Gray Owl
Western Screech-owl
Northern Pygmy-owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Blue Jay
Tri-colored Blackbird
White-throated Sparrow
Snow Bunting

- transcript

hotline: northern Idaho / eastern Washington / northeastern Oregon
Date: 16 February 2004
Phone: (208) 882-6195
Compiler: Kas Dumroese
Transcriber: Kas Dumroese

This is Kas Dumroese with the Northern Idaho / Eastern Washington /
Northeastern Oregon bird hotline for Monday 16 February (2004). 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 the recording by pressing 2 and then #.
Please give me good directions, your fellow birdwatchers will appreciate it.

A GREAT GRAY OWL was persisting near Walla Walla, Walla Walla Co WA. First
seen on 1 Feb by Mike and MerrLynn Denny, it was seen through 11 Feb, but
hasn't been relocated since. At the same location, however, Mike and
MerryLynn report up to 4 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS, 2 WESTERN SCREECH-OWLS, and
2 GREAT HORNED OWLS. Also present most of last week was a NORTHERN GOSHAWK.
To get there, take US 12 east through most of Walla Walla until the airport
/ Bennington Lake exit. Take the exit and turn right (south) toward Walla
Walla Community College. At the 4-way blinking red light, continue south on
what is now Tausik Way and cross over Mill Creek. Take the first turn left
(east) and follow the signs to the lake. At the lake, go to the far end of
the parking lot and head north from the trailhead. Go 600' to the trail
heading off to the right, down slope toward the ditch that connects Mill
Creek and Bennington Lake. This trail connects to a well-traveled path going
north along the ditch. Look for the bright orange flagging, and then for the
bird. Be good birders; give the owl plenty of distance. WA DeLorme 41, D-6.5

The EURASIAN, aka COMMON, aka GREEN-WINGED TEAL reported last Dec from Lake
Pend Oreille, Bonner Co ID was relocated on 22 Jan by Stephen Lindsay and is
now being seen regularly east of Sandpoint. Look for it from the overview
pull-out at ID 200 milepost 41.5 east of Sandpoint. Matthew Moskwik saw it
there on 8 Feb and I saw it today, 16 Feb. ID DeLorme 62, BC-3.

A LESSER BLACK-BACK GULL was seen 14 Feb, but not today 16 Feb, near College
Place, Walla Walla Co WA by Mike and MerryLynn Denny. The bird was seen
along Hussey Road-the 5th year in a row a LBBG has been seen at this
location. Hussey Road heads south from US 12 at the western end of College
Place. Nearby on 16 Feb, Mike and MerryLynn saw 2 ad and 1 second winter
GLAUCOUS GULLS just east of the Mill Creek Bridge along Gose Street west of
Walla Walla. WA DeLorme 41, D-5.

A YELLOW-BILLED LOON was photographed 15 Feb along the southeast shore of
Lake Chelan, Chelan Co WA by Patrick and Ruth Sullivan. WA DeLorme 83, B-8.

A flock of 50 SNOW BUNTINGS was seen 7 Feb near the intersection of Detour
and Gravelle Roads in Lincoln Co WA by Gina Sheridan. Detour runs east-west
a couple of miles south of US 2 between Reardan and Davenport.

Several folks have reported WESTERN SCREECH-OWLS in Corbin Park, Spokane,
WA. Look and listen for them on the eastern edge of the park near Waverly.

On 11 Feb at Independence Point city park in Coeur d'Alene, Kootenai Co, ID,
Gina Sheridan reports the MEW GULL was still present From US 95, follow
Northwest Blvd east to the parking area just west of the CdA Resort. ID
Delorme 60, B-1.5.

A first-year THAYER'S GULL was seen flying along the Clearwater River in
Lewiston, Nez Perce Co ID on 14 Feb by Harry Krueger. It was in the vicinity
of the Lewiston grain towers.

A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was seen 15 Feb near the boat ramp at Priest Rapids
WMA, Grant Co WA along the Columbia River by Bob Flores, Randy Hill, Steve
Mlodinow, and Scott Downes. Scott also reports seeing an adult
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL and an EURASIAN WIGEON as well. WA DeLorme 52, C-1.

Randy Hill reports seeing 12 or so TRI-COLORED BLACKBIRDS in the big
blackbird flock just north of Othello, Adams Co WA, near the Cenex Plant and
railroad crossing on 15 Feb. These birds have also been reported from Para
Ponds which is nearby. From Othello go north on Broadway (west end of town
extending north from WA 24) past the processing and storage facilities, SVZ
and cubing plant. When the road crosses the RR tracks at the Cenex it
becomes McManamon Road. Continue across the canal and down the hill past the
2 potato sheds. The Para Ponds are just beyond on both sides of the road. WA
DeLorme 53, B-7.

On 14 Feb Terry and Christine Gray found a NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL in Moscow,
Latah Co ID near the intersection of 8th and Hayes.

The BLUE JAY is persisting at the feeder of Dave Holick northeast of Moscow,
ID. This bird has been around for nearly 3 months. If you want to try for
it, give Dave a call at 208.882.5556.

Apparently the Othello, Adams Co WA BLUE JAY is persisting as well along
Sundance Road. It apparently visits a street-side feeder at 7:30 am. To get
there take WA 24 south of Othello 3+ miles, turn left on Atkinson Road and
go about a mile to Sundance. Take either end south to where it loops back
and watch/listen along the inside of the loop. WA DeLorme 53, BC-7.

Correction from last week: Doug Schonewald's BAIRD'S SANDPIPER was present
31 Jan and 1 Feb. Time flies by fast enough without me jumping ahead a
month!

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