Subject: Okanogan over weekend - long
Date: Jun 29 11:39:39 2004
From: b&pbell - bellasoc at isomedia.com


Hi Ho Tweets -

14 people from the East Lake Washington Audubon spent three days in the
Okanogan area this last weekend, with a stop in Marblemount to look for
the Alder Flycatcher. We had a great trip with many excellent views of
nice birds, and some interesting weather.

Before I go on to the rest of the report and a few of the highlight
birds, a couple of heads-up to folks out there. We intended to go up
Harts Pass, but about 9 miles up the road where it begins to climb out
of the valley the road is gated. The sign says it is closed til August
for repairs to the road resulting from fire damage (and I assume
resulting erosion). You might keep that in mind if you are planning on
going over that way.

Also, the meadow area around the Sitzmark ski area outside of Havilah is
now posted No Trespassing covering the area normally searched thru for
the Great Gray Owl. Both side of the road are off-limits until you enter
the National Forest. The signs are very explicit.

We started out on Friday morning and made out way up SR20 with a stop at
Corkindale where we saw the Bank Swallows. At the County Line Ponds we
saw and heard the male American Redstart. Our next stop was in
Marblemount at the Alder Flycatcher site. We ran into Rachel Lawson and
Connie Sidles who both assured us that the bird was there. After a few
minutes of searching we heard the bird over near the house on the north
side of the meadow and got reasonably good looks at it while it sang. It
then flew to the other side of the meadow and perched in several spots
giving us either brief or longer views. A Willow Flycatcher was also
singing in the area at the same time. A good start to the day.

We had been under low clouds up to that point, but as we climbed out of
the Skagit River Valley we broke out of the clouds. We stopped at Rainy
Pass and Washington Pass. Beautiful day, but rather slow for birds. Next
down into the Methow Valley with an abortive attempt at Hart's Pass.

The next morning we began our climb up to higher elevations along FR 37.
Nice looks at Cassin's Vireo on the way up. At Roger Lake, along FR 39,
we had super looks at Spotted Sandpiper while the Wilson's Snipes put on
an extravagent display overhead calling and winnowing. As we went back
the trail on the way out we had a male American Three-toed Woodpecker
call from beside the trail. It flew down onto a log and gave us nice
looks. It then flew back further into the area, but continued to give us
good views. After a few minutes a female appeared and we eventually
tracked her down to the nest tree, and we watched both birds make
repeated visits. The area was about 25 yards before the trail begins to
go downhill toward the lake and where a large, dead tree leans uphill.
The nest tree is about 50 yards off the trail to the northeast. While we
were watching the birds in this area, cloud masses were moving overhead
and toward the north.

We stopped at Freezeout Pass and took a hike up Freezeout Ridge. Part
way up the clouds that had been moving over became active to our west
with thunder and a brief shower fell on us. We had nice looks at Clark's
Nutcracker and Gray Jay. We then moved on to Tiffany Springs campground
for lunch. We had just gotten things spread out on the picnic tables
when the heavens opened up. Lunch proceeded in the cars while a
thunderstorm poured down around us. We finished lunch about the same
time the storm moved on, but it was looking really dark further north.
As we got out we had another male American Three-toed Woodpecker. This
one gave us extremely nice looks as it moved from tree to tree in the
relatively open area. A female flew thru, as did a Hairy Woodpecker. We
had brief looks at a Boreal Chickadee when the thunderstorm series moved
thru again - another downpour with much lightning and thunder. As the
weather had appeared threatening all morning long further along FR 39 we
made the decision to drop back down the road and proceed east on FR37.
The weather broke as we moved south, and was nice by the time we reached
Baldy Pass (6515 feet), although it was looking grim further north. At
the pass we had our third pair of American Three-toed Woodpeckers, folks
had certainly gotten great looks at a life bird for most of them. Megan
Lyden, who had taken a side trail reported that she had heard many
chickadee calls so we all trooped up there. We had Mountain Chickadee
and a Boreal Chickadee. This bird proceeded to give us better looks than
the earlier one.

We dropped down the east side of FR37 and stopped at a nice meadow
surrounded by Ponderosa Pines, Larch and Aspen - usually a good
combination for Williamson's Sapsucker. We had a Hairy Woodpecker
drumming on a dead limb, and some mysterious cheeping calls. We traced
these down to a tree that had a young woodpecker peering out. Because of
the brownish feather head patterns we speculated it might be a young
Williamson's. A minute later, a male Williamson's Sapsucker made it's
appearance, followed shortly by the female. Eventually the female came
into the nest tree with the very uncautious young bird and fed it (the
feather patterns of the young bird and the female were the same). We
watched for a considerable time as this bird got stuffed full. It struck
us that the young bird, by sticking it's head out and calling when the
parents were not around was taking undue risks.

We stopped along the way in Conconully where we had nice looks at the
lake with the sun behind us. As we were attempting to scan the north end
of the lake, between two houses, one of the owners came out and asked
what we were doing. When we explained we were looking at the birds she
said we could walk thru the yard to get down by the lake. This gave us
nice views of Ruddy Duck, American Wigeon, and Red-necked Grebe.
Alongside, in a bush we had a Gray Catbird.

We stayed the night in Okanogan. The thunderstorms of the day in the
mountains were now gathering down in the valley as well, and we had
brief time of a power outage at the motel, but the power returned. The
storms moved thru all night, and we had an intense shower the next
morning. We started north early under dry conditions, but by the time we
got to Tonasket it was raining again, and the mountains to the west
looked like they were still getting dumped on. The road up to Havilah
showed much evidence of heavy rains the preceding days, with gravel and
cobbles washed over the road, all ditches showing erosion, the road
nearly being undercut at one point, and an aspen would have been
blocking the road except for the telephone wires holding it up. We were
able to get past and got up to the area where the Great Gray Owl has
been seen in the past. As mentioned above, the area is now heavily
posted and we were only able to bird from the road. The clouds were
gathering overhead, but we had looks at another Williamson's Sapsucker,
another American Three-toed Woodpecker, Chipping Sparrows and a Cassin's
Vireo. Finally the rains started to arrive, so we retraced our steps. As
we came down to lower elevation, and approached the irrigated fields we
ran into displaying Bobolinks. We stopped and scoped these birds - there
were at least 8 males seen at any one time - and we had great views.

By the time we reached Omak we were out from under the clouds and the
sun was out. As we climbed up Cameron Lakes Road we stopped to look at
an Eastern Kingbird and one of the party noticed a Great Horned Owl on
the limb of a tree. It was a young bird with some down still left on the
head. In a nearby tree was an adult owl. When the bird flew it was
mobbed by the kingbird and by a Bullock's Oriole. Several Turkey
Vultures flew overhead. We made our way down the road, and at some
cliffs by a lake we had a large Cliff Swallow colony - great looks, and
a singing Rock Wren.

We stopped at the junction of the Okanogan and Columbia Rivers and
pulled a Least Flycatcher out of the aspens. At this point we turned our
sights south and began our trip home with many fine memories of
"quality" views of the birds we had seen. As always, our trip to the
Okanogan was too short.

Brian H. Bell
Woodinville WA
bellasoc at isomedia.com

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