Denny,
Good Call on your part.
Anyone who walks around taking pictures of energy infrastructures can expect
to have a conversation about what they are doing there. Digital cameras make
showing those concerned what you took a picture of easy. Film cameras may be
confiscated as evidence pending development. As with anytime there is a
sign up, ask first.
Clarence

----- Original Message -----
From: "Denny Granstrand" <dgranstrand at charter.net>
To: <TWEETERS at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 10:45 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] Black-headed Gull and Northern Hawl Owl today


> 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/
>
>
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