Hi Rolan and Tweeters:
Here is the original msg about BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS at Elk Heights from Gene Hunn. I hope this helps w/ directions. I'm sorry that I can't find any more-detailed directions, so I guess you must look for a burn in the area near Exit 93 off of I-90. Unfortunately, I have not been up there to view the BBWOodpeckers yet.
These woodpeckers were among my most sought-after bird species a few years ago. Now I'm still looking for White-winged Crossbill... Guess I better get out there birding.
See Gene Hunn's msg (below) about BBWO.
Yours, Carol Schulz
DesMoines
linusq at att.net

----- Original Message -----
From: Eugene and Nancy Hunn
To: tweeters
Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2006 2:47 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] notes from the WOS convention and the return trip


Tweets,

George Gerdts and I returned from the WOS convention via Washtucna, Bisquit Ridge, Mt. Hood (Oregon), Klickitat River, and Wenas. We just got back.

Our final bird of interest was a family of BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS in a recent burn just north of I-90 at Elk Heights summit. I'd noticed this burn on several previous trips east but had never bothered to get off at exit 93 (Elk Heights) and backtrack the short distance to the burn. We clambered up a low embankment just west of a driveway signed "Masons" and through a gap in a barbed wire fence (not posted) and within five minutes located a female feeding a full-grown fledged young and later located a second fledgling and the male. Some trees are marked for salvage so I don't know how long they'll remain standing.

There does indeed seem to be an invasion of LEAST FLYCATCHERS. We saw two, one a stake out on the Little Pend Oreille NWR east of Colville but the other we stumbled on ourselves, along the Kettle River 3.2 miles west of the junction with hwy 21 at Curlew. Lots of waterthrushes along here also. Sounds as if there may be a dozen altogether in eastern Washington right now. And those are just the ones birders have located.

We had one male BLACK-THROATED SPARROW singing on the hillside west of Huntzinger Road 0.75 mi south of the entrance to Wanapam State Park on our way over. Don't know if this is different from some of the other postings. A good year for this species apparently, perhaps correlated with continuing drought in the southwest.

Best bird of the trip for me was the GREAT-GRAY OWL family at Havillah. I last saw a great-gray in Washington in December of 1973! I've been to the Havillah spot at least half-a-dozen times with no luck, not to mention other wild-owl chases that proved fruitless. A wonderful bird, that.

Gene Hunn
18476 47th Pl. NE
Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
enhunn323 at comcast.net