Dear Tweeters,

A bit late of a post, but I saw some fun birds on
Friday-Sunday, November 2-5, 2007.

On my way E over the pass (SR 20), I saw one AMERICAN
THREE-TOED WOODPECKER near the top of Thunder Knob,
Whatcom County, 11-2-07.

At Pateros, a large waterfowl flock included a PACIFIC
LOON (Okanogan County), 11-2-07.

At dusk at Bridgeport Bar (Douglas County) was an
AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, 11-2-07.

Around mid-day on 11-3-07, I visited the gully with
the row of pines, west of Lamoine (Douglas County). A
LONG-EARED OWL flushed from the pines. A probably
Northern Goshawk flew in, but kept between the sun and
my eyes the whole time, so no ID there.

In the evening of 11-3-07 at Steamboat Rock State Park
(Grant County), there were two GREATER WHITE-FRONTED
GEESE grazing with a flock of Canada Geese, right in
the campground area (the only part of the park that is
open right now). Also, foraging in ornamental
plantings behind the restrooms was a single AMERICAN
TREE SPARROW.

The morning of 11-4-07, a walk up into Northrup Canyon
was very rewarding--a beautiful spot this time of
year, and no one around. A single AMERICAN TREE
SPARROW was here, a mile or so up-canyon, just past a
trio of small, doghouse-like structures.

All along on this trip, there were Northern Shrikes,
Rough-legs, Horned Larks, and California Quail.

On a negative note, I was sorry to see that a place
that offered good birding habitat fifteen years ago or
so, is now pretty much a bust. I refer to the old
"Comsat Station," the big dish antennas on the
Brewster Flats. There is very little sagebrush there
now, and all I found was a single Western Meadowlark
and a few House Finches there.

On the other hand, it was truly fine weather, combined
with a smattering of still-golden aspen leaves,
yellowing grasses, and red basalt, so there were a lot
of beautiful sights to see.

Good birding!






Yours truly,

Gary Bletsch

near Lyman (Skagit County), Washington

garybletsch at yahoo.com


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