On Thursday (10/25/07), Michael Woodruff and I decided
to head to the southeastern corner of the state and
work on our anemic Asotin County lists. It was
wonderful excuse to experience a truly glorious,
crisp, autumn day, and to bird areas that seldom
visit.

After a early morning departure, we saw a ROUGH-LEGGED
HAWK north of Pullman. As we headed down Steptoe
Canyon, and encountered plenty of juncos,
White-crowned Sparrows, Cooper's Hawk, Ruby-crowned
Kinglet, American Goldfinches, and some fly-over Pine
Siskins. Suddenly, Michael spotted a BOBCAT that was
twenty feet up in a tree and, we saw it go bounding
off into the thick brush of the canyon bottom.

On Wawawai River road, we began scanning the Snake
River and quickly picked up quite a few birds on the
Asotin County side along Chief Timothy State Park.
Some of these included CANADA GOOSE, CACKLING GOOSE -
8 taverners, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, No. SHOVELERs, LESSER
SCAUP, WESTERN GREBE, HORNED GREBE, RING-NECKED DUCKs,
AMERICAN COOT, DC COMORANTs, HOODED MERGANSER,
PIED-BILLED GREBE, and a NO. PINTAIL. On the Whitman
County side of Port of Wilma, there was a HERRING
GULL, and the more usual CALIFORNIA GULLs and
RING-BILLED GULL.

Around Evan Pond (Asotin County), we had great views
of a MARSH WREN, a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, and heard a
VIRGINIA RAIL call once from deep in the marsh. Along
the causeway entrance to Chief Timothy State Park, we
saw a lone male CANVASBACK. In the park proper, we saw
plenty of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERs, GOLDEN-CROWNED
KINGLETS, MT. CHICKADEEs, DE JUNCOs, WHITE-CROWNED
SPARROWs, BEWICK'S WRENs, SONG SPARROWs, and a SPOTTED
TOWHEE. Eastern Fox Sparrows were common here.

Although I barely glimpsed the bird, Michael zeroed in
a LINCOLN'S SPARROW that we could not relocate. In the
habitat management area, there were numerous
White-crowns and Song Sparrows, but nothing unusual.

In Clarkston, we saw a RED-NECKED GREBE in the harbor
of the Confluence Park. Swallows Park produced EARED
GREBE - 3, RUDDY DUCK -1, AMERICAN WIGEON, MALLARD,
AME. COOTs, WESTERN GREBE, TREE DUCKs, BUFFLEHEAD,
RING-NECKED DUCKs, and CANADA GEESE.

Driving up the grade toward the Blue Mts., we were
hoping too see Gray Partidge and Chukar, but we didn't
have any luck with these chickens. We did see AMERICAN
KESTREL and RED-TAILED HAWKs, but little else. At the
Anatone Cemetery, we spotted a very distant falcon
flying off to the north that was probably a Prairie
Falcon or perhaps a Merlin, but it was too far out to
tell.

In the wood of Fields Springs State Park, we added
additional layers of clothing to ward off the higher
elevation chill. Along the entrance road, we ran into
a mixed flock of RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, PYGMY
NUTHATCH, MT. CHICKADEE, STELLER'S JAY, and we heard
both BROWN CREEPER and CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE. On
the interior forest trails, it was quiet, but we did
manage to see a CASSIN'S FINCH and a furtive VARIED
THRUSH. Mammals included Mule Deer, Red Squirrel, and
a late Yellow-pine Chipmunk.

Working the open country of Anatone Flats, we
encountered a NORTHERN SHRIKE, RING-NECKED PHEASANT,
WESTERN BLUEBIRD, and an AMERICAN PIPIT. Although we
were hoping to see Rough-legged Hawk, Gray Partridge,
and Short-eared Owl, we dipped on those.

Before heading back to Whitman County for some owling,
we made a quick stop on the West Pond of Lewiston, ID.
While an incredible number of Wood Ducks seemed to
dominate the lake, there were two EURASIAN WIGEON (one
in rusty headed hues of basic plumage, and the other a
male molting into full alternate plumage), AMERICAN
WIGEON, RING-NECKED DUCK, CANVASBACK, BUFFLEHEAD,
HOODED MERGANSER, and a gorgeous feral MANDARIN DUCK.

As dusk closed in, a full Hunter's Moon arose.
Apparently, this particular full moon is the brightest
one for 2007. It made our owling venture irresistible!
In fact, we saw a GREAT HORNED OWL on our approach to
Kammiak Butte.

When we arrived a Kamiak Butte, we met Roger Marcus
who is the resident ranger who manages this particular
county park. Unfortunately, no one is allowed into
Kamiak after dark. Although this was disappointing
news to us, Roger kindly suggested that we might try
an alternate property in Elberton.

Fortunately, the suggestion to visit Elberton was an
excellent one. At the main public property, the mixed
conifer forest looked perfect for Saw-whet Owls. Even
though we couldn't elicit any owl responses here,
Michael recalled seeing a nice stand of mature
cottonwoods immediately to the east.

Gazing out across the moonlit draw from the roadside,
we began working for saw-whet and screech owls.
Yielding nothing, we made another attempt at
saw-whets, and finally heard an owl bark. One saw-whet
issued a few toots and catlike whines. While one
saw-whet tooted softly in the distance, another one
came in closer. Finally, the fulled activated NORTHERN
SAW-WHET OWL loudly delivered both the standard
tooting as well as more catlike whines and screeches.
When it flew into a bare limbed cottonwood, we had
superb views of it in our lights. It then dropped into
a tangled elderberry tree, and we watched it hopping
around the branches.

This Whitman County lifer No. Saw-whet Owl was the
grande finale to a wonderful day of birding. Our last
mammals of the day was Coyote running across the road.

Gina Sheridan
Spokane, WA

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