After reading the recent postings by Marv Breece and the Sullivans I decided to make a second winter trip over to the Bridgeport / Brewster area. With GREATER SAGE GROUSE being my main goal I headed out very early Saturday morning and arrived at Leahy Junction (Waterville Plateau) about 1/2 hour later that I expected. Andy and Ellen Stepniewski along with a birder from Finland were just packing it up when I arrived, but I lucked out as the grouse were still displaying.

The weather was pretty good both days with some drizzle Saturday evening and Sunday morning and little wind until Sunday afternoon. The birding seemed to be ok overall, but the town of Mansfield (Waterview Plateau) on Sunday morning was alive with birds all over the place, including 2 EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES.

Upon arriving back in Ballard this evening I thought my birding was finished for the day, but this was not the case. While leaving the Fred Meyer store I observed a BALD EAGLE flying low and fast above the parking lot with a pair of PEREGRINE FALCONS making sure it did not slow down. Highlights from the trip included:

GREATER SAGE GROUSE - 5 at Leahy Junction

NORTHERN SHRIKE - 1 at Leahy Junction and 1 near Mansfield

NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL - 1 at Bridgeport State Park

GREAT HORNED OWL - 2 heard at Bridgeport State Park

BOHEMIAN WAXWING - 125~ at Bridgeport State Park and 30~ along Central Ferry Canyon Road

GOLDEN EAGLE - 1 at the Scotch Creek Wildlife Management Area near Conconully and 1 flying over Teanaway Road in the Cle Elum area

NORTHERN GOSHAWK - 1 in Mansfield

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK - several in the Mansfield, Dyer Hill and Withrow areas of the Waterville Plateau

EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE - 2 in Mansfield

SAY'S PHOEBE - seen at Conconully, Mansfield, Washburn Island (near Brewster), and Central Ferry Canyon

WESTERN BLUEBIRD - a pair at Scotch Creek WMA, and one in Cle Elum

PYGMY NUTHATCH - a few small flocks along the Central Ferry Canyon Road

WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH - one individual seen along with the Pygmy Nuthatches

RED CROSSBILL - 3 birds seen along the Central Ferry Canyon Road

SNOW BUNTING - a large flock along the Cameron Lake Road (north of Brewster), and one bird on the Dyer Hill Road (Waterville Plateau)

PINE SISKIN - a group of 25~ birds in Conconully

WOOD DUCK - Washburn Island

PEREGRINE FALCON - 2 in Ballard

Cheers and Good Birding



Michael Fleming

Ballard, WA

michaellf AT myway.com

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