Subject: [Tweeters] Salmo Hawk Owl
Date: Oct 1 20:26:54 2004
From: MarkJHoust at aol.com - MarkJHoust at aol.com


Just got back from the Salmo country in the extreme northeast corner of the
state. This morning, Friday, Tom Munson and I watched a Northern Hawk Owl work
a small open ridge just north of Salmo Mt. for about 40 minutes. About 8:30
the bird came gliding in low through thre trees with another bird in close
quarters that looked just like it. One continued on past the ridge and when the
other swooped up to the top of a snag we realized it was a Hawk Owl! So it
seems there are two up there, though we didn't see the other one again. The
bird we watched actively hunted in brilliant sunshine, working mostly from the
tips of whitebark pine snags, while we strolled around it. Tom got some great
shots, some of which will no doubt be published.

Salmo Mt. is 6800' high, and the ridge where we observed the owl is at a
similar elevation only a quarter mile north of the summit holding the fire lookout
station. To reach the mountain take the road up Sullivan Creek just north of
Sullivan Lake. This road is in very good condition. In 18 miles at Salmo
Pass take the road to the left which goes a couple miles to the top. Concerning
the possibility of two owls, there has been speculation about the suitability
of the area, especially Crowell Ridge just to the west, for breeding of this
species.

Other interesting species were encountered in the area. The night before two
BOREAL OWLS were heard were heard close to the road about a mile beyond Salmo
Pass, but were not seen. In the early morning three or four PINE GROSBEAKS
were chirruping and flying about. At the mountain top a ROSY FINCH flew over,
as did a Bohemian Waxwing. An immature Goshawk cruised around below the
mountain top, and we saw another Goshawk flying down the road ahead of us on our
way back down to Sullivan Creek. The day before we saw a few BOREAL CHICKADEES
on the ridge south of Bunchgrass Meadow. This afternoon we were surprised by
a Northern Shrike in the Colville Valley a few miles north of Chewelah. It
was not an obvious immature bird, but the blown up photo's may show enough
breast barring to indicate it was.

Mark Houston
Spokane