Subject: [Tweeters] White-winged Scoter in Pend Oreille Co.
Date: Nov 28 10:51:35 2005
From: Gina Sheridan - gsherida8502 at yahoo.com


On Sunday (11/27/05), Craig & Judy Corder and I birded
southeastern and central Pend Oreille County.
Temperatures were in the mid-20s to low thirties with
mostly cloudy skies. On the sites that we birded,there
was a a maximum of 1" of snow in the higher areas and
virtually none on the lower valley floors.

Our first stop of the morning was to check for the
reported Black-backed Woodpecker near the State Fish
Hatchery on the north side of Spokane, Although we saw
plenty of evidence of bark scaling, we didn't see our
quarry bird.

On Spring Valley Road and the Newport area, birding
was really slow. As we continued up Hwy 20 toward Usk,
we began to see some interesting birds. Just south of
Dalkena, we saw a NORTHERN SHRIKE (ended up with three
for the day) on a wire, and a CACKLING GOOSE with a
Lesser Canada on the river.

On a spur road (West Shore Dr.) on the north end of
town, we found the best species of the day. Looking
quite dapper as they drifted down the river, were a
pair of WHITE-WINGED SCOTERs (adult male and a
female).

The river road between Usk and Cusick was largely
devoid of waterfowl, but there was a flock of 60
BOHEMIAN WAXWINGs in a thicket along Meadow Road.
North of the junction of McKenzie & West Calispell, we
had a nice light phase, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK.

The open water of Calispell Lake was fairly loaded up
with waterfowl such as TUNDRA SWAN, AMERICAN WIGEON,
LESSER SCAUP, RINGNECK DUCK, GREEN-WINGED TEAL,
CANVASBACK, COMMON GOLDENEYE, and CANADA & a pair of
CACKLING GEESE. One of the roadside thickets was
loaded with a mixed species flock of BLACK-CAPPED &
MOUNTAIN CHICKADEEs, RED-BREASTED, PYGMY, &
WHITE-BREAST-NUTHATCH, and GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET. The
White-breasted Nuthatch is a tough county bird and the
first that I have seen up there.

While this time of the year can be difficult birding
in the cold valleys of Pend Oreille County, we enjoyed
a successful, fun trip.

Gina Sheridan
Spokane, WA




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