>Hi Tweeters!
>
>The prime habitat and chances for seeing boreal birds in the Okanogan has
>somewhat diminished from the recent heavy fire of 2006 and closed roads to
>Hart's Pass. As an alternative, I decided to explore and bird the remote
>Northeast corner of Washington. I did not expect much because of the time
>of year and boreal birding is usually slow and requires much effort.
>However, I was pleasantly surprised to find a few great birds and mammals
>at various locations in three counties. It was a good scouting trip,
>nevertheless.
>
>I started out GREAT the first day, but the birding activity significantly
>dwindled for the next several days. The most productive site was
>Bunchgrass Meadows. One of the highlight of the trip was getting all four
>species of chickadee in one day: Black capped at Noisy Creek Campground
>(2200 ft);chestnut backed (3400ft); and boreal chickadee with mountain
>chickadee at Bunchgrass Meadows (4800 ft)!
>
>I think it will be a decent year for white winged crossbills as I had
>several spotted in two different locations on this trip. Earlier from my
>BC trip, I saw several large flocks at multiple locations. I predict some
>will trickle down to Washington and Oregon. One bird was seen in Oregon
>near Santiam Pass this month. Paul Sieracki also had some recently near
>the Idaho/WA border.
>
>Here is a list of my findings. Please note MP are approxiate but I did have
>an altimeter to measure the elevation.
>
>BUNCHGRASS MEADOWS (Most productive at MP 8 to MP 12)
>
>White winged crossbills: (1 male seen, three small group clearly heard) MP8
>to MP12/4700-5100 ft
>Pine grosbeaks: (1 male well seen, along with two fly bys) Near closed
>gated road MP 8/4700 ft
>Red crossbills (Up to a hundred or so) 3800 ft to 5100 ft
>Spruce grouse (1 male; I miracously found in a tree in a dark area) MP5 to
>MP6/ Elevation 3800 ft
>Boreal chickadee (2 birds with some mountain chickadees) MP9/ Elevation
>4800 ft
>
>Please note the white winged crossbills move around. I saw one male the
>first day and only heard the other flocks once out of the six times I
>visited the area during my entire stay. It's a pretty big area and plenty
>of cones on tree tops.
>
>Other birds in the area included: Fox and Lincoln sparrows, evening
>grosbeaks, olive slided flycatcher, hermit and varied thrushes,
>MacGillivray's warbler,
>
>Mammals seen included: pine marten, moose with calf, black bear, maybe a
>grizzy based on the large pile of "dung" with lots of fur (relieved that I
>didn't see this one)
>
>SALMO MT (Surprisingly very quiet. I walked almost 2.5 miles in from lthe
>lower parking lot)
>
>8 Boreal chickadees (the beginning of Shedroof trail 535 after the gravel
>road ends at one mile)
>2 Belted Kingfisher (Elevation 4000 ft)
>Smaller number of crossbills than Bunchgrass Meadows
>
>Mammal seen: Caribou
>
>SULLIVAN LAKE AREA/CAMPGROUND
>
>Great gray owl (North end of Sullivan Lake Rd entering north from Metaline
>Falls)
>Ruffed grouse (2 subadult)
>American Redstart (1 female at Mill Pond)
>Northern Waterthrush, Red eyed and Warbling Vireo, Gray Catbird, Veery
>(Noisy Creek CG)
>
>TOGO MOUNTAINS
>
>Spruce grouse (female at MP 9 on FR 9576, northward road)
>Northern Goshawk (adult, near the top badly rutted road)
>White winged crossbills (near MP 8 on FR 9576, northward road)
>Red naped Sapsucker (nest with loud begging chicks)
>Townsend's solitarie
>
>SHERMAN PASS/ALBIAN HILL RD (Very quiet)
>
>Nashville warblers (3 birds)
>American Three Toe Woodpecker
>Red crossbills (large flocks)
>
>Trail 96 of the Sherman Pass CG has alot of fallen trees so I gave up after
>a half mile or so. The trail is very overgrown; too bad, it is excellent
>spruce grouse habitat. As an alternative, try Walapoosie CG which is about
>4 miles up the Albian Hill Rd. Walk the nice trail for about a mile or so.
> There is a creek that flows right through the nice, lush ground cover
>with fallen trees that sprucies love.
>
>There is also a dirt road that forks to the right about 1.5 mile pass this
>CG that is also great for spruce grouse. I suggest you walk this one,
>especially in the fall and before hunting season.
>
>Another interesting tidbit about spruce grouse:
>
>They are not found only in subalpine habitat with Engelmann spruces and
>lodgepole pine. From my Bunchgrass Meadow sighting, the bird was at a
>cedar hemlock zone with fallen logs, mossy and green ground brusy cover
>along a drainage. The elevation was 3800 ft. The other male sprucie I saw
>eariler this year at Salmon Meadows (near Conconully) was at an elevation
>of 3700 ft with little subalpine habitat.
>
>Recently, Paul Sieracki spotted one at 3200 ft near the same habitat near
>Little Lake on the WA side. In the past, Tom Munson has also seen them
>around 3800 ft near Calispel Peak in similar habitat.
>
>All in all, I was very pleased with the trip. I ended my trip with a
>pleasant visit and chat with the talented and nice, Tom Munson and his
>wife. He is a inspiration to me! His passion and love for birding and
>photography is infectious!
>
>I also enjoyed staying at the rustic and historic, Washington Motel in
>Metaline Falls. It was very inexpensive, clean, and cozy.
>
>Please let me know if you have any questions. Will submit a few photos
>later.
>
>Good birding to you,
>
>Khanh Tran (Portland, Oregon)
>
>