Subject: [Tweeters] Tennessee Warbler & Clay-colored Sparrow in Stevens
Date: Aug 7 14:36:00 2006
From: Gina Sheridan - gsherida8502 at yahoo.com
On Sunday (8/6/06), Kim Thorburn and I headed for the
Canadian border and birded the northern portions of
Stevens County. While the morning was quite cool
(mid-forties), the late afternoon temps heated up to
the low nineties. Although it was sunny, an acrid haze
from the Lake Chelan wildfire filtered the sunlight.
As we approached Williams Lake, a RUFFED GROUSE flew
across the road. Williams Lake had a curious MARSH
WREN on the edge and RED-NECKED GREBE, AMERICAN COOT,
RUDDY DUCKs, and C. GOLDENEYE on the water. BALD
EAGLEs were present too.
Around Marble, a COOPER'S HAWK flew across the road
with it's hapless prey in it's talons. Over some
irrigated pastures just south of the Upper Columbia RV
Park, a large mixed flock of swallows were actively
reducing the insect population. Violet-Greens, Banks,
and Barns predominated, but there was a Cliff, Trees,
and a few Rough-winged Swallows too. More importantly,
we saw two BLACK SWIFTs and a single VAUX'S SWIFT
there.
As we sifted through the swallow flocks for swifts, we
became distracted by foraging flock of passerines in
the riparian scrub. RED-EYED VIREOs were the most
noticeable, but there were also CASSIN'S VIREO,
WARBLING VIREO, TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, YELLOW WARBLER, a
tight flock of PINE SISKIN, PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER,
WESTERN WOOD PEWEE, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER,
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, CHIPPING SPARROWs, and single
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW.
After proceeding northward, we kept hearing and seeing
warblers, vireos, and other passerines along the
river. We stopped at some wooded flats along the river
at Boundary, and birded the thicket along the railroad
track. Again, the trees were alive with numerous
RED-EYED VIREOs, a smaller number of WARBLING VIREOs;
YELLOW, YELLOW-RUMPED, and TOWNSEND'S WARBLERs; HAIRY
WOODPECKER, DOWNY WOODPECKER, and FLICKER. Meanwhile,
a female MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER kept chasing around a
Song Sparrow. Plenty of young families of RED-NAPED
SAPSUCKERs, AMERICAN REDSTARTs, CHIPPING SPARROWS,
JUNCOs, BC CHICKADEEs, added to the colorful
spectacle.
At this particular spot, we had our biggest find of
the day. Having seen more vireos than I ever have
before, I noticed a bright sharply marked bird that
resembled a Red-eyed Vireo with a bright yellow wash
on the breast. The bill on this bird was petite and
sharp pointed like a warbler. While it had yellow
color on the breast and belly, the undertail coverts
were white. A distinct gray cap contrasted with the
moss green colored back. There were no noticeable
wingbars, there was a white supercillium, and dark eye
line, and the bird appeared compact in comparison to
the lanky vireos. It actively fed from the near the
ground to up into elderberry and chokecherry scrub.
Since we were viewing this bird (and a second one that
was bit duller) in good light, we had to conclude that
we were looking at pair of TENNESSEE WARBLERs. It
certainly made for an exciting find for the day.
By midday we were in the Little Pend Oreille
Highlands. However, birding was quite slow. At Crystal
Falls, we dipped on the Dipper, but we saw plenty of
whitewash on the rocks. On the South Fork Mill Creek
Road, we found evidence of recent Three-toed
Woodpecker activity, but no birds. While at Amazon
Creek, there was a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK flying in the
midst of a Violet Green Swallow mass. The swallows
were none too welcoming either.
In the late afternoon, we birded the Colville STP and
found an excellent variety of shorebirds. Species
present here included a lone SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER,
BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, WESTERN SANDPIPER, LEAST SANDPIPER,
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER - 1, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER - 2,
SOLITARY SANDPIPER - 3, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, LESSER
YELLOWLEGS, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, WILSON'S SNIPE,
RING-NECKED PHEASANT, TEAL (sp.), RUDDY DUCK, MALLARD,
and WOOD DUCK -2. As we were preparing to leave, Mark
Houstn arrived, and enjoyed the birds with us.
For early August, it was an amazing day. Kim had two
ABA lifers (SB Dowitcher and Semipalmated Sandpiper),
and I added thirteen lifers to my Stevens County list.
Gina Sheridan
Spokane, WA
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