Subject: [Tweeters] 2nd Lincoln Co. Snowy Owl
Date: Dec 4 21:13:33 2005
From: Gina Sheridan - gsherida8502 at yahoo.com


Although it seems quite a few birders were out on the
West Plains today (Dec. 4, 2005), we didn't run into
them. We birded the West Plains from 1-3:30 PM.
Conditions were overcast, around 20 degrees, and with
ample snow cover. By this time, most of the fog had
lifted

While we saw some of the birds that others reported,
we were successful in locating a SNOWY OWL in new
location. Since this bird was two miles away from the
Woodruffs bird, I am assuming that it is different
bird.


Harold & Karen Cottet, and I worked Moos Road west to
Hwy 231, proceeded north to Detour Rd., and continued
west to Ziemer. On our return leg, we crossed north of
Hwy 2 on Ziemer (I don't recommend that others attempt
this portion of Ziemer as there are high snow drifts
between U.S. 2 and Sunset Hwy), and Sunset Hwy back to
Reardan.

Although I was most hopeful for a Lincoln Co. Tree
Sparrow, there were none to be seen on Moos Road (or
anywhere else in Lincoln Co.). As we proceeded up Hwy
231 from Edwall, I spotted on SNOWY OWL on the
ridgeline of a bench about 100 yards east of the
highway. Fortunately, Wendlandt Road allowed us to
drive up on the bench for a better view of this lovely
bird. The owl was somewhat skittish and finally flew
eastward and out of sight. This owl was an
intermediate looking bird and was possibly an adult
female.

Numerous pheasants were seen along the farmyards in
the area. On Detour Road (half a mile west of 231), we
observed a pair of SHORT-EARED OWLs hunting near the
road. While we watched, each owl caught a vole. Harold
obtained a nice picture of one bird perched on a
fencepost with a vole pinned under it's talons.
Meanwhile, a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (we saw three for the
day) flew in to check things out.

Along the Sunset Hwy., we encountered flock of 20
BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS in the front yard of a house between
Ziemer and Bald Ridge Roads. Several miles farther to
the east, we had a dozen GRAY PARTRIDGEs fly across
the road.

The two mammals of the day were two Coyotes hunting
across the snowy landscape.

Gina Sheridan
Spokane, WA



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