Considering that Saturday (4/07/07) was truly a
gorgeous spring day, Kim Thorburn and I could not
resist birding one of our most pristine and beautiful
counties of our state, Ferry County. Temps ranging
from mid-30's to low 70's, and sunshine was abundant.

After crossing Keller Ferry, we drove into Swawilla
Basin and found ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, BALD EAGLE,
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD, VESPER SPARROW, WESTERN
MEADLOWLARK, NORTHERN HARRIER, RED-TAILED HAWK,
SPOTTED TOWHEE, and CANYON WREN. Swawilla Basin Beach
held an excellent variety of waterfowl, and we were
pleased to find EARED GREBE -1, WESTERN GREBE - 1,
HORNED GREBE - 11, RED-NECKED GREBE - 2, GREEN-WINGED
TEAL - 2, RING-BILLED GULL - 28, HERRING GULL - 1,
LESSER SCAUP, and BUFFLEHEAD - 3 (all in Ferry
County).

As we were especially keen on finding some of the
montane woodpeckers, we spent quite a bit of time
surveying scaled trees in several small burns.
Although we didn't come up with a Black-backed
Woodpeckers today, we did see at least five
WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKERs. Two pairs of WHWOs were on
Silver Creek Road between MP49 and MP48, Another WHWO
was located two miles east of the junction with
Wilmont Creek Road.

Other birds along Silver Creek included RUBY-CROWNED
KINGLET, TURKEY VULTURE; WB & RB & PYGMY NUTHATCH; MT.
& BC CHICKADEE; DARK-EYED JUNCO, CASSIN'S FINCH,
WESTERN BLUEBIRD, AMERICAN ROBIN, TOWNSEND'S
SOLITAIRE, SONG SPARROW, HAIRY WOODPECKER,
VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW, AMERICAN CROW, C. RAVEN, RED
CROSSBILL,

Although we searched Friedlander Meadows for
Williamson's Sapsuckers, the only woodpecker
representative that we could only find was No.
Flicker. We didn't see or hear any sapsuckers today.

Farther up the line, we stopped in at Round Lake. On
Round Lake, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDs, YELLOW-HEADED
BLACKBIRDs, CANADA GEESE, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, AMERICAN
COOT, and a COMMON LOON in alternate plumage greeted
us.

At North Twin Lake, we saw BREWER'S BLACKBIRD, TURKEY
VULTURE, PINE SISKIN, COMMON MERGANSER, RED-NECKED
GREBE, LESSER SCAUP, MALLARD, COMMON GOLDENEYE,
AMERICAN WIGEON, and BUFFLEHEAD. On South Twin Lake,
there were plenty of RING-NECKED DUCKs, coots, and C.
Goldeneyes.

On the Inchelium Ferry, our last Ferry County birds of
the day consisted of two more RED-NECKED GREBEs, and
several BUFFLEHEADs. As we entered into Stevens
County, the sun was hanging low in the sky.

On our homeward drive around Camas (just east of
Huckleberry Mountain on Springdale-Hunters Road), we
expectantly found a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
associating with a flock of Canada Geese. Our Stevens
County lifer WF Goose was a true serendipity, and
terrific finale to our highly enjoyable trip.

Spring feverish,

Gina Sheridan
Spokane, WA



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