On Saturday (6/09/07), Kim Thorburn and I birded
portions of Pend Oreille and Stevens Counties. The
weather was cloudy and cool and the morning, and the
afternoon weather became rainy and windy.

While our diligent search through the southern
riparian reaches of the county (Fan Lake to northern
Eloika Lake, and Scotia Valley) failed to produce our
targeted Bewick's Wren, we did see other birds of
interest. In particular, we were quite pleased to find
two different VEERYs (one on Little P.O. River Road
and the other near the the junction of Scotia and
Xanadu Ranch). In Scotia Valley, we found AMERICAN
REDSTART, NASHVILLE WARBLER, MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER,
CASSIN'S VIREOs, WARBLING VIREO, RED-EYED VIREO,
YELLOW WARBLER, RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER, and GRAY CATBIRD.

Around the Newport Geophysical Observatory, we saw a
family of CASSIN'S FINCHes, EVENING GROSBEAK - 5, RED
CROSSBILL, CHIPPING SPARROW, and ORANGE-CROWNED
WARBLER. However, we could not find the reported
Black-backed Woodpecker.

A short jog across the Cusick Meadows was highlighted
by over a half dozen singing BOBOLINKs. EASTERN
KINGBIRDs, SAVANNAH SPARROWs and WESTERN MEADOWLARKs
contributed their charm to the area too.

Following up on directions that Terry Little had
provided me, we successfully refound the SAY'S PHOEBE
about 1/2 mile south of Tiger. The phoebe was working
a fenceline in a farmyard. Over the last couple of
years, I have been scouring the county for this
species, but this is the first one that I have ever
seen in P.O. County.

In the Little Pend Oreille Highlands of Rocky Creek,
we observed GRAY JAY, but dipped on Three-toed
Woodpecker. Birds heard in the area included
GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, VARIED THRUSH, SWAINSON'S
THRUSH, and TOWNSEND'S WARBLER.

In Stevens County, but still in the Little P.O.
Highlands, we encountered a decent variety on S. Mill
Creek Road. We saw OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, HAMMOND'S
FLYCATCHER, GRAY JAY -2, and heard both SWAINSON'S
THRUSH and HERMIT THRUSH.

In the afternoon, the weather had deteriorated and
avian activity was suppressed. At Amazon Creek, we
heard a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH sing a couple of times,
but it then fell silent. Only COMMON YELLOWTHROATs
seemed to be unfazed by the wind.

We spend quite a bit of time looking for Black-backed
Woodpeckers around the Little Pend Oreille NWR, but
only saw HAIRY WOODPECKER, NO. FLICKER, and DOWNY
WOODPECKER. Of course, there were plenty of RED
CROSSBILLs, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEEs, juncos, and a few
TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIREs. around.

On Kit-Narcisse Road (north of the NWR), we were
scanning through some REDHEAD ducks. Suddenly, a SORA
went scooting behind a duck that we had been watching.


Distant scope views of the Colville STP, allowed us to
see WILSON'S PHALAROPEs (Stevens County lifer for me),
WOOD DUCK, and COMMON NIGHTHAWKs. On the Valley STP,
we saw plenty more WILSON'S PHALAROPEs, and a few
BLUE-WINGED TEAL, CINNAMON TEAL, NORTHERN SHOVELER,
AMERICAN COOT, and REDHEAD.

As a final note, there has been a SORA calling all day
(6/10/07) from a insignificant looking wetland near my
apartment.

Gina Sheridan
Spokane, WA



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