Hi Tweeters
I spent the last 4 days over in Eastern Washington, with 2 days in
the Okanogan county hills, and a day on either side wandering about
more widely. Brrrrr - that's the word that often seemed to escape my
lips as I was reminded repeatedly that summer is about over.

Some notable sightings:
Thursday Sep 15:
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Moses Lake: (Delorme p. 69, C-6)Thursday
morning, thanks to Tom Munson & Mark Houston arriving and allowing a
wider search -

Basset Park, Washtucna, Adams Co (WA ABA p. 374, Delorme p. 55 B/C - 6)
The main species present was Yellow-rumped Warbler. Also around were
a couple Townsends Warblers, several Townsend's Solitaires, and many
Red-breasted Nuthatches.

Hatton-Coulee Rest Stop pond, SR 26 x SR395. [Adams Co] (Delorme p. 54 B-2/3)
Semipalmated Sandpiper - one amongst the other peeps
Pectoral , Bairds, Western, Least Sandpipers, Gr. Yellowlegs, & LB
Dowitcher all in small numbers [and killdeer in larger numbers]

Lind Coulee, [Grant Co] (WA ABA, p. 357, Delorme p. 53 A-7)
Pretty much empty of shorebirds when I visited late in the day. It
doesn't even seem like there is much mud available right now -- I did
feel fortunate to have a GBH, Great Egret & 2 Black-crowned Night
Heron all sitting along the shore w/in one scope view of each other.


Friday Sep 16 & Sat Sep 18: Okanogan Co, around Roger Lake, Freezeout
Ridge (WA ABA 449-50, Delorme p. 114 ~C-1) & over at Hart's Pass. (WA
ABA 433-4, Delorme p.112 B/C-3)On the hike up Tiffany Mountain on
Friday I got my first taste of snow for the year, but it was just a
brief bit. Then, on Saturday, I drove up to Hart's Pass and found
several inches on the ground and more coming down. That made for
difficult viewing so I really didn't have much to show for the drive
up there.

SPRUCE GROUSE - 4 along the roadside about 3 miles before Baldy Pass,
9/16 morning; 1 on path around Roger Lake. All were females or imms.
AM. 3-TOED WOODPECKER - 1 at Baldy Pass on Friday, 1 at Roger Lake on Saturday.
PINE GROSBEAK - ~5 at Roger Lake on Friday, several along the road to
Hart's Pass [mostly >5 miles from the top] Saturday, & a few more
just below Rogers Lake on Saturday. [Both adult males & fem/juv
NORTHERN GOSHAWK - 1 at Freezeout Ridge, 1 along the trail to Tiffany
Lake [this one had just caught & killed a squirrel & was a bit
startled to have me walk up so closely]

Also:
Williamson's Sapsucker - one at Baldy Pass on Friday
Horned Larks - several flocks along the walk up to Tiffany Mountain.
Mountain Bluebirds - a few in the meadows on the Tiff Mtn hike.
Blue Grouse - only one observed, on the Tiffany Lake trail.
Great Horned Owl - one at Roger Lake, dusk on Saturday
Clark's Nutcrackers - everywhere
Gray Jays - less regular than Clark's but still about

Missing:
Boreal Chickadees - None seen either day. I'm starting to believe
this is a jinx sp for me.
GC Rosy Finch - not as surprising to miss them, since the view from
Slate Peak at Hart's Pass was pretty non-existent.

Today, Sunday 9/20:
Basset Park, Washtucna, Adams Co
WILSON'S WARBLERS - once the sun came out, the adult male Wilson's
showed up in large numbers. 20+, I'd estimate - They outnumbered the
Yellow-rumps and not a one of 'em lacked a black cap.
VARIED THRUSH - 2 present in scrub by pool
HERMIT THRUSH - a few around in same area
CASSIN'S VIREO - one
WARBLING VIREO - one
HAMMONDS FLYCATCHER - one [I was debating the id of this one w/
another birder and would have left it as a Hamm/Dusky empid had I not
checked Kaufman's [Advanced Birding] book on the way home - this bird
was in fresh plumage and that works for Hammonds but not Dusky at
this point before migration is complete -- gotta love learning a
useful Empid ID tip!
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS - still present in good numbers, but less than
on Thursday I think.
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH - ditto
TOWNSENDS SOLITAIRE - only 2 or 3 around today
BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK - 1 [it refused to turn into a Rose-breasted
Grosbeak for me, but I tried]
HOUSE WREN - a couple
ROCK WREN - a couple

Turnbill NWR, Spokane Co (WA ABA, p.499-501 Delorme, p.72, A-4)
RUFFED GROUSE - one along entrance road into NWR
TOWNSENDS, ORANGE-CROWNED, WILSONS & YELLOW-RUMPED - mostly near the
visitor center ponds.
WARBLING VIREO & HERMIT THRUSH - also in the bushes by the visitor
center ponds
Along the auto-tour, at the 2nd walkable path to view Keppel Lake:
Greater Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpiper, & some peeps - there's lots
of mud along the edges of this lake, so it might be worth checking
more thoroughly for shorebirds.

I think that's about it -
Despite the snow & cold weather, it was a good weekend -

Matt Bartels
Seattle WA




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