Message

********************************************************************
Mike & MerryLynn Denny
1354 S. E. Central Ave.
College Place, WA 99324
509.529.0080 (h)

IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN BIRDING, YOU HAVEN'T LIVED!
*******************************************************************
----- Original Message -----
From: The Woodruff's
To: inland-nw-birders at uidaho.edu
Sent: Sunday, November 21, 2004 1:12 PM
Subject: [inland-NW-birders]Pygmy-Owl vs Pine Grosbeak


Garrett MacDonald came over to go birding with me this morning. It was mostly dead, but we did finally find a couple Pine Grosbeaks, both female type -- one yellow and one russet. We had great views of these two before they flew farther up the hill. We followed, but before we could see them, I glimpsed a fast-moving object zooming in the direction of the grosbeaks. We heard squawks or screeches from one of them, and I wondered if I had seen an accipiter, though I thought it was smaller.

When we came into the clearing, there was the russet bird calling from a stump, but the other bird was nowhere in sight. I spotted something moving on the ground, and when I looked closer, I thought it looked something like pictures I've seen of the Wryneck from Europe. Soon I saw that it was really a Northern Pygmy-Owl. Garrett just saw it on the ground before it took flight. When it flew, the poor Pine Grosbeak that it was carrying was nearly as big as the little owl! We'd never seen anything like it before! I just wish the owl could have chosen a different target! And unfortunately, although I was holding my camera, I didn't get any pictures. : (

Michael Woodruff
Spokane, WA