Subject: [Tweeters] Okanogan Co. birding trip June 13th-17th
Date: Jun 17 23:02:18 2007
From: Ruth and/or Patrick Sullivan - godwit513 at msn.com


Hello Birders,

We spent 5 days birding in eastern Washington from Vantage to Okanogan Co. from the 13th-17th of June. This exciting trip was a combined birding/photography trip,but yielded 167 species including several main highlights. Over the 5 day period we drove 1,215 miles in 5 counties with overall great weather,except for afternoon winds everyday that hindered birding at times. In addition to birding we encountered several mammal,dragonfly and butterfly species with the latter most evident in great numbers during our drive along Aeneas Valley Rd. on the 16th. Overall birding was fairly productive at most locations,but we did encounter slow periods and noticed many species absent from several locations where we normally encountered them during the same period.


Our main route consisted of the following by date followed by key highlights noted from listed locations:

June 13th,2007

Vantage area-Huntzinger Rd.,Kittitas Co.

1 BLACK-THROATED SPARROW photographed .7 miles north of Wanapum State Park,as previously reported by Tom Aversa and Michael Fleming. This particular bird was actively singing along a sage-covered slope at the listed location along the eastern portion of Huntzinger Rd. at 11:30am.

1 pair of Black-headed Grosbeaks at Wanapum State Park

1 female BUFFLEHEAD along the Columbia River south of Wanapum State Park

Sentinel Bluff,Grant Co.

3 Am.White Pelicans
2 Great Horned Owls
1 OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER(late date for location)
1 Eastern Kingbird
3 Gray Catbirds
20 Black-headed Grosbeaks

County Line Ponds,Grant Co(accessed along S.R.26 west of Othello)

1 Northern Pintail
6 Cinnamon Teal
2 Blue-winged Teal
10 Redhead
3 Black-necked Stilts
6 Am.Avocets
9 Wilson's Phalaropes

S.R.26 at MP 44,Adams Co.(east of Othello)

1 Burrowing Owl

Bassett Park at Washtucna,Adams Co.

4 Wild Turkeys
2 FERRUGINOUS HAWKS(observed separately from hillsides above Bassett Park)
2 Swainson's Hawk
2 Barn Owls
4 Eurasian Collared Doves
3 Willow Flycatchers
1 OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER(late date for location)
2 PACIFIC-SLOPE"WESTERN"FLYCATCHERS(late date for location)
2 Bewick's Wren



June 14th,2007

Bassett Park at Washtucna,Adams Co.

1 Willow Flycatcher
2 PACIFIC-SLOPE"WESTERN"FLYCATCHERS(most likely the same birds as the previous day and a late spring date for the location)
2 Gray Catbirds
1 Swainson's Thrush(late date for location)
1 singing RED-EYED VIREO(late date for location)
1 Western Tanager
1 Pine Siskin

Hatton Rest Area(settling pond),Adams Co.

1 RED-NECKED PHALAROPE(notable date for location)

Hwy.28 at Stratford,Grant Co.

3 Turkey Vultures

Wilson Creek,Grant Co.(including Rd.22 NE)

2 Clark's Grebes
18 Am.White Pelicans
8 Great Egrets
1 male EURASIAN WIGEON(very notable date for inland location)
5 Black-necked Stilts
12 Am.Avocets
2 Wilson's Phalaropes
2 Black Terns
1 Lazuli Bunting
6+ Tricolored Blackbirds

Hwy.28 at Brook Lake,Grant Co.

1 Forster's Tern

Tonasket-Havillah Rd.(at Siwash Creek Rd.),Okanogan Co.

20 Bobolinks

Molson Rd.(south of Molson),OK

1 adult Peregrine Falcon with prey(unusual location for species)
2 Grasshopper Sparrows

Molson and Sidley Lakes,Okanogan Co.

2 Common Loons
1 Eared Grebe
1 female Canvasback with 6 young
1 pair of Greater Scaup
1 female Common Goldeneye
1 male Bufflehead
3 Swainson's Hawks
1 Sora
1 GREATER YELLOWLEGS
4 Black Terns

Muskrat Lake,OK

2 Swainson's Hawks
2 GREATER YELLOWLEGS
8 Wilson's Phalaropes
15 Black Terns

Highlands Snow Park near Havillah,OK

1 MERLIN(observed flying southeast towards Mt.Bonaparte)
1 pair of Williamson's Sapsuckers
35+ Clark's Nutcrackers



June 15th,2007

Fields Lake,Okanogan Co.

2 Swainson's Hawks
8 Black Terns

Loomis-Oroville Rd.(along the Similkameen River)

20 Lewis' Woodpeckers

Chopaka Rd.(north of Palmer Lake),OK

5 Bald Eagles(2 adults,3 immature birds)
1 Long-billed Curlew
2 Black-chinned Hummingbirds
8 Bobolinks

Palmer Lake,OK

2 Common Loons
1 WESTERN GREBE
4+ Chukar(heard only calling alone rimrock cliffs along the northern edge of Palmer Lake)
7 Wilson's Phalaropes


This location also hosted our greatest views of Gray Catbirds from a small camping area along the northern edge of this lake. On one occasion we watched one Gray Catbird attack a large sphinx moth-like insect on the ground. the insect crawled on the ground as the Gray Catbird continued to peck at it vigorously,but not killing it completely. The bird eventually left the insect,where it remained on the ground nearly dead. We presumed that the 2 Gray Catbirds were probably nesting in a bush close to our camping area and we would often hear one of the bird singing regularly announcing it's presence. Nearby, along Chopaka Rd, densities of Gray Catbirds were probably the greatest during our trip than any other location that we visited.



June 16th,2007

Loomis-Oroville Rd. north of Toats Coulee Rd.(north of Loomis),OK

5 Bobolinks

Loomis-Oroville Rd. at Spectacle Lake,OK

1 Common Loon
6 Red-necked Grebes

Loomis-Oroville Rd. at Whitestone Lake,OK

2 Red-necked Grebes

Aeneas Valley Rd.,OK

1 Common Loon(observed on Round Lake)
12 Ruffed Grouse(including 5 adult birds and 7 young at different locations)
1 Northern Goshawk
12+ Veeries
2 singing male Am.Redstarts(observed in riparian areas east of the West Fork of the Sanpoil River Campground)
6 Northern Waterthrushes(heard singing only from marshy,riparian areas west of West Fork of the Sanpoil River Campground)
1 Grasshopper Sparrow
12 Bobolinks(observed from 2 separate locations along Aeneas Valley Rd.)

Bonaparte Lake Rd.(south of Bonaparte Lake),OK

2 Wilson's Phalarope

Bonaparte Lake,OK

1 Common Loon
1 Williamson's Sapsucker



June 17th,2007

Loomis,Okanogan Co.

1 EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE

Cameron Lake,Rd.,OK

1 Gray Partridge
1 White-headed Woodpecker
5 Gray Flycatchers
5 Sage Thrashers
3 White-breasted Nuthatches
1 Loggerhead Shrike(noteworthy location for this species)
good numbers of Brewer's Sparrows from several locations along this 30 mile "loop" road)


Cassimer Bar,OK

3 Western Grebes
2 LEAST FLYCATCHERS(observed calling only at a location where this species has been noted in recent years by us and many other birders in an aspen grove near the mouth of the Okanogan River)

MP 70 at I-90 at Easton,Kittitas Co.

1 Band-tailed Pigeon(last species of the trip)


Our mammal highlights of the trip included many White-tailed Deer at various locations the Okanogan Highlands and near Palmer Lake,as well as 5 Mountain Goats foraging on the steep rocky slopes below Grandview Mountain(above Palmer Lake)on the 16th. Our dragonfly highlight of the trip was a single Chalk-fronted Corporal observed along Aeneas Valley Rd. on the 16th,which may represent the first record for Okanogan Co. Our butterfly highlight of the butterflies we identified during the trip was a Monarch observed at Bassett Park in Adams Co. on the 13th.




Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Fircrest,WA
godwit513 at msn.com