Hi Tweeters,

I ventured up to the Grand Coulee Dam area searching for the
Black-headed Gull and Northern Hawk Owl today. At about 11:00 Dave
Chantler from Winthrop and I bumped into each other and spent four
hours or so searching for these two birds.

After spending a couple of hours searching for the owl, we hit the
north end of Banks Lake and found the Black-headed Gull at about 1:30
on the log boom about half a mile south of North Dam. One photo of
the gull is in the new photos folder on my website.

We searched again for the owl and finally gave up at about
3:00. Dave headed for home and I headed south. I stopped at the log
booms again and took more photos of the gull. These logs are quite a
ways from shore and, unless you get really good light, photographing
it is difficult.

I then stopped at Northrup Canyon and found it completely dead. I
tried for American Tree Sparrow near the entrance to Steamboat Rock
State Park and came up empty handed again.

I decided to try one more time for the owl. I found it at about 4:00
on the west side of the large electrical substation, which is on the
north side of Hwy 174 about 3/4 of a mile west of the junction of
Hwys 155 and 174 in Grand Coulee, sitting on top of a power pole
about 150 yards north of the highway. That entire area of government
property and is posted no trespassing. I figured that I, as a
tax-paying citizen, am part owner in the property (you know - "of the
people, by the people and for the people") and nearly persuaded
myself to walk around the gate and down the road which ran past the
pole the owl was sitting on. The sign, though, discussed certain
types of searches, which probably included guns, of people
trespassing so I decided if I wanted a good photo of this wonderful
bird I would have to go back this weekend. That is why I am writing
this e-mail right now instead of sitting in jail somewhere in Grant
County or maybe even Spokane.

There are many perching opportunities for the Northern Hawk Owl in
the area of the electrical substation that are a long ways from the
highway. Unless you get as lucky as Meredith Spencer and her
friends, you might have to settle, as I did, for a long-distance view
instead of incredible photos.

(Please don't reply to this e-mail, to Tweeters or to me, about the
irresponsibility of trespassing. It was a joke!)

Denny Granstrand
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Denny Granstrand *
* Yakima, WA *
* dgranstrand at charter.net *
* Denny's bird photos can be seen online at: *
http://granstrand.net/gallery/