Hi Tweets,

I just returned last night from a 24-hour trip from Edmonds to Grand
Coulee, with the goal of seeing the Northern Hawk Owl while it is
still being observed. I ignored all of Friday's TV news drama about
an impending storm, having already searched reliable web sites about
road conditions and weather forecasts. Ann Marie Wood and I headed
out about 7 p.m. Traffic was light and road conditions were good all
the way to Soap Lake where we had booked a room in the old stone
building at the Inn at Soap Lake. We discovered that the stone
construction blocks cell phone reception, but we also discovered
spacious rooms, very comfortable beds, and reasonable pricing during
the off season.

We didn't arrive at Grand Coulee quite as early as we would have
liked because of all the birding opportunities along the road between
Soap Lake and Electric City but we thought we our 9:45 arrival
positioned us well to see the owl and get back to the Wet Side that
evening. When we reached the power plant on Highway 174 we noticed a
small car at a pull-out up above us. It drove down to where we were
and discussed the possibilities with Ken Knittle and Bob Flores who
had driven up from Vancouver that morning. They reported that the
Olivers had seen the owl on a highway sign post, perhaps half an hour
earlier, had photographed it and then watched it fly off to the
north. I had an ominous feeling that we wouldn't see the bird the
rest of the day but Ann Marie encouraged optimism. We exchanged cell
phone numbers and told Ken and Bob we would hang around the area
while they went looking for other birds. We ultimately exchanged
phone numbers with Michael Fleming and his birding partner, Stefan
from Oregon. The Tom Mansfield, Mary Frances Mathis, and Ryan
Merrill showed up after having found a saw-whet owl in Wheeler and
seeing the Long-tailed Duck on Soap Lake. More cell phone numbers
exchanged and more optimism that with more eyes and optics we would
all find the owl. The day dragged on and other birding vehicles
appeared. We didn't meet the fellows in the pick up with the "C
Corax" license plate but they were clearly in the game, too.

It didn't rain and it didn't snow. Sometimes the sun came out. The
wind blew a lot. Birds were very visible in this sage brush
environment. We watched both Kestrels and Red-tailed Hawks hovering
and hunting in the wind. Magpies were quite well seen. We were
hopeful that this owl would not escape our detection if it returned.
Ken and Bob found a flock of 40 Bohemian Waxwings in town. Many of
us, and perhaps all, dipped on the Black-headed Gull. There were few
gulls on the Coulee Playland logs that morning and those few
dispersed during the day. When we last checked the logs there were
no gulls at all.

Shortly before 4 p.m. everyone gathered along the pull-out above the
power plant. There was at least one man up on a knoll, spotting
scope trained downhill to check out all possible perches. It would
have been visible from the Grand Coulee Dam. And we would all have
been quite apparent to staff at the power plant. Before long, two
white SUVs driven by Federal Protective Service officers,
approached. What was our interest in the facilities? Who were we?
Could the spotting scopes have been something more sinister? They
were polite and several in the group took the opportunity to educate
them on this rare bird and how the birding community passes on such
information over list servs. They chatted for a while and then left,
having learned a little more about our obsessions.

Ann Marie and I finally gave up the ghost about 4:30 p.m. and started
our long drive back to Seattle. Ken and Bob had started theirs back
to Vancouver a little earlier. Others were fortunate to have the
time to stay over and try again today.

The losing? Obviously dipping on the owl. The winning? Running
into old pals and putting faces to names we often see on Tweeters.
The conversations to be had while standing around waiting for the
avian invitee to come to the party. The thrill of the chase. The
hope and the possibilities. Resting water-drenched Wet Side eyes on
the starkly beautiful winter landscape of Eastern Washington.

Good birding to all,

Carol Riddell
Edmonds