Marv Breece and I birded Pend Oreille, Stevens, Ferry, and southern Okanogan Counties Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Mark Houston joined us on Sat. in Pend Oreille Co. Lake of the Woods had several Veeries calling, Common Goldeneyes, Catbirds, a Red-eyed Vireo, and a Canyon Wren. West of Tweetie we found 2 Lark Sparrows, which is a first for Pend Oreille Co., and many bluebirds both Western and Mountain feeding in a short-grassed green field due to horses grazing. East of Tweetie just across the Idaho line was a young Peregrine Falcon sitting on a power pole. This seemed out of place with not much water close by. Working our way up the east side of the Pend Oreille River going north of Newport we found a female Redstart, and a Red-naped Sapsucker. Not much in shorebirds as I had seen in the past along this stretch. Calispell Lake produced over 120 American White Pelicans. This seemed unusual. Many shorebirds were again noted along the lake shore looking through the Ponderosa Pines. A Caspian Tern was on the lake as well. The afternoon was very warm as we drove up Dry Canyon hoping the Blue-headed Vireo was still around. No birds were heard due to the warm temp. Pass Creek Pass wasn't much better, but did find Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Olive-sided Flycatcher, and Evening Grosbeaks. We were hoping for Spruce Grouse along the road, but perhaps too many vehicles had scared them off. Just before darkness a Western Screech-Owl darted across the road in Bonner County, Idaho. Wasn't sure how common they were in that part of the state. We were driving down the west side of Priest Lake.

Sunday we birded Stevens and Ferry Cos. Hatch Lake was dead as the water is too low. A dead Green-winged Teal had a lot of hungry turtles feasting on it in the shallow waters. White Mud Lake not far away produced a couple of young Soras that were out in the open muddy areas much off the time. Two late singing Willow Flycatchers were east of the sewer ponds in Colville. The mouth of the Colville River was very productive with Black Terns, both yellowlegs, several Solitary Sandpipers, Wilson's Snipe, Wilson's Phalaropes, Baird's Sandpipers, and Common Nighthawks. Meyers Falls south of Kettle Falls had Long-billed Dowitchers feeding on perfect mud. A quick run north to the Kettle River Campground in the heat of the day produced both yellowlegs and Solitary Sandpiper. We finished off the day checking out Mud Lake north of Republic and spent the night on Satus Pass without any owls, but lots of noisy trucks chugging up the east slope through a good chunk of the night.

Monday we headed non-stop down the Sanpoil River Valley seeing a darting Catbird now and then on our way to the Colville Plateau where it was super windy and white caps on most of the larger lakes such as Duley and Soap Lakes. Very few birds, but did see lots of Sage Thrashers, and Kestrels working the burned areas which had small grasshoppers everywhere. Looked like good eating for the birds. Washburn Island east of Cassimer Bar had American White Pelicans, 1-Red-necked Phalarope, Semipalmated Plovers, Semipalmated Sandpipers, along with the normal peeps, yellowlegs, etc. The south end of Lake Lenore had Black-necked Stilts, Avocets, Baird's Sandpipers, and Western Sandpipers. The Quincy ponds had a few Red-necked Phalaropes and construction workers working in the heat which at that time was 97 F. Vantage was 101 F as we passed through Monday afternoon.

Ken Knittle
Washington Birder newsletter
2604 NE 80th Street
Vancouver, WA 98665
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