On Sunday (6/12/05), Craig & Judy Corder and myself
birded Pend Oreille County. Despite the frequent and
sometimes heavy rain showers, we managed to find some
nice birds.

During a rainy start, we tried for Barred Owl at Lake
of the Woods in the southeastern portion of the
county. We dipped on the owl, but we saw MOUNTAIN
BLUEBIRD, VESPER SPARROW, CALIFORNIA QUAIL (good
county bird), TURKEY, and RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER. An
early morning Moose greeted us too.

One of the best birds that we found was a singing
LEAST FLYCATCHER in a stand of W. Balsam Poplar
(cottonwood) on Westside Calispell Road (north of the
junction with Meadow Rd.). A nice copse of aspen made
me want to stop and check it out. Almost immediately,
I heard this vociferous empid calling. All of us had
good views of the bird as it perched at eye level in
the cottonwood saplings.

Farther south on Westside Calispell, we enjoyed
sightings of RED-EYED VIREO, LAZULI BUNTING, RUFOUS
HUMMINGBIRD, COOPER'S HAWK, and SHARP-SHINNED HAWK.
BOBOLINKS, SAVANNAH SPARROW, EASTERN KINGBIRD, and
BLUE-WINGED TEAL were along Meadow Road.

In the town of Cusick there were two AMERICAN AVOCETs
on a cattle pond directly across the street from a
sewage treatment lagoon.

On the Flying Goose Ranch, we saw AMERICAN REDSTARTs,
MARSH WREN, and heard VIRGINIA RAIL and SORA. Dry
Canyon produced RUFFED GROUSE, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER,
and NASHVILLE WARBLER (with chestnut crown was
exposed).

However, we didn't see the Black-backed Woodpecker at
the nest hole where Craig and I had seen one on
Memorial Day weekend. At least, I did see a Bobcat
bounding down forested track.

As we checked out Sullivan Creek Road (toward Salmo
Mt.), we saw a pair of HARLEQUIN DUCKs. Although I
know that they breed on the creek, I was somewhat
surprised (albeit delighted) to see the exquisite
looking male Harlequin so late in the season.

On the lower meadows we saw MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER,
CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD, VAUX'S SWIFT, and WARBLING
VIREO. In Metaline Falls, we took in views of
BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD and EVENING GROSBEAKs.

On the return leg, we diligently searched for the
Sandhill Cranes that we had seen on Calispell Lake a
couple of weeks earlier, but did not find them. There
were plenty of BLACK TERNS and a few WILSON'S
PHALAROPES present though.

On our final check of South Fork Calispell Creek
crossing, we had crippling views of a NORTHERN
WATERTHRUSH. The waterthrush seemed to be saying "come
back and see us some time".

Gina Sheridan
Spokane, WA

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