Hello Everyone,



Friday morning, I decided to spend some time checking out some lakes fairly
close to home in Stevens County. I started at Deer Lake at 8:30 where I
blessed to find two flocks of SCOTERS totally about twenty birds with both
WHITE WINGED and SURF being noted.



On a small pond behind the Crossroads Community Church (just west of the
corner of Highway 395 and Bulldog Creek Rd) there was a Long Billed
Dowitcher and a Wilson's Snipe feeding side by side with Hooded Mergansers
swimming nearby.



The STP at valley held nine species of ducks including Redhead, Wood Duck,
and both Goldeneyes. After realizing there was not much activity on Waitt's
Lake I returned home to pick up my son Joshua and his friend Josh. We were
hoping enough snow had melted from Mt Salmo to possibly squeeze in one last
try for Boreal Owls. The trip was well worth it if for no other reason
except the fall scenery.



A brief stop along Calispell Creek at McKenzie Road did not produce Gina's
Longspur, but we did enjoy good views of the 30 plus flock of Long Billed
Dowitchers. Sullivan Lake yielded a couple of Common Loons, Horned Grebes
and Common Mergansers. Being the eve of the opening day of hunting season,
Gypsy Meadows was filled with campers, but no spruce grouse. However, at the
Thunder Creek trailhead, a very cooperative Northern Pygmy Owl provided some
fun entertainment. Attending flocks of Chestnut Backed Chickadees, Red
Breasted Nuthatches, and Golden Crowned Kinglets voiced their complaints of
the intruding owl. A flock of about 6 Gray Jay also made their presence
known.



We were able to make our way to the summit of Salmo - though some places
were a little treacherous. While we watched a glorious sunset from the
summit of Salmo itself settling over adjacent mountains to the west, we were
actually being snowed upon where we were. Another N Pygmy Owl called from
down below.



After dark, we took the trail at the end of the road about a half mile past
the parking lot (3 to 8 inches of snow on the trail). Between 7pm and 9:00
pm we had 7 different contacts with BOREAL OWLS. A couple were the "come in
a sqeak once" encounters. But we did get a brief visual of one of the owls.
Another one persistently barked at us from no further than thirty feet away
-but no visual. We also had two owls at the same time break out into full
song - both of the typical and extended (over two minutes) kind.



Glad we went! I still love Salmo!



Terry Little

Mead, Wa