Following up on Keith Carlson's report of the
Long-tailed Duck on the Lower Clearwater River
(confluence with the Snake River), I could no longer
resist the chance for adding this tough species to my
Whitman and Asotin County lists. On this fine sunny
Wednesday (3/12/08), Jon Isacoff and I made a
pilgrimage to Clarkston to see if we could duplicate
the experience that Keith Carlson and Terry Gray had
previously enjoyed.

While scanning confluence from the Lewiston Levee, we
could see plenty of NORTHERN PINTAIL, AMERICAN WIGEON,
MALLARD, AMERICAN COOT, a couple of WESTERN GREBEs,
WOOD DUCKs, and a few HORNED GREBEs. Within five to
ten minutes of searching, we refound the first year,
molting male LONG-TAILED DUCK. Initially, we saw it on
the Asotin County side in front of the boat dock. The
LT Duck then began diving quite a bit. Later, it flew
over the Idaho state line, and then circled back
around a landed along the far shore in Whitman County.


Another species of interest that cruised around the
confluence and provided us with the county trifecta
was a flock of TUNDRA SWANs. While viewing the
waterfowl, a MERLIN flew over the river but it was
remained on the Idaho side.

Crossing over the Clarkston side of the river, we saw
a female BARROW'S GOLDENEYE in the Confluence Park
Marina. Strolling around the greenbelt trail, we
approached the boat dock, and saw many of the same
birds that we had viewed from the Lewiston Levee.
However, the swans and LT Duck had disappeared.

In the afternoon, we located a large contingent of
gulls loafing in mid-river near the Port of Wilma.
Unfortunately, no rare gulls were noted.

After returning to Spokane, we decided to try an
owling run in Pend Oreille County. The night was calm,
cold (mid-twenties), and clear. There is still a
couple of feet of snow on the ground in P.O. County.

We worked the Camden-Elk Road, and may have heard a
very distant W. Screech Owl, but nothing that I would
count. In Deer Valley, and Deter Road, we tried for
screech, Saw-whets, and Barred, but could we only
heard a pair of Great Horned Owls on the north end of
Deter. Although the results were disappointing, it was
gorgeous night to be out owling.

Kudos to Keith Carlson for tracking and reporting the
Long-tailed Duck. This is a very tough species to find
in either Asotin or Whitman Counties.

Gina Sheridan
Spokane, WA

Jon's EBird post is captured below:


Total Species - 51
Asotin County - 44 Species

Canada Goose 200
Tundra Swan 7
Wood Duck 8
American Wigeon 26
Mallard 100
Northern Pintail 22
Green-winged Teal 2
Ring-necked Duck 26
Long-tailed Duck 1
Bufflehead 30
Common Goldeneye 1
Barrow's Goldeneye 1
Ring-necked Pheasant 1
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Horned Grebe 4
Western Grebe 2
Double-crested Cormorant 10
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
American Coot 100
Killdeer 2
Ring-billed Gull 100
California Gull 100
Herring Gull 2
Rock Pigeon 20
Mourning Dove 3
Northern Flicker 1
Say's Phoebe 1
Black-billed Magpie 5
American Crow 1
Common Raven 1
Horned Lark 2
Tree Swallow 6
Canyon Wren 3
Bewick's Wren 1
American Robin 25
European Starling 50
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
Song Sparrow 3
Dark-eyed Junco 2
Red-winged Blackbird 5
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch 2
House Sparrow 2

Whitman County - 24 Species

Canada Goose 50
Tundra Swan 7
Mallard 50
Northern Pintail 22
Long-tailed Duck 1
Bufflehead 2
Common Merganser 6
Horned Grebe 1
Double-crested Cormorant 6
Bald Eagle 1
Red-tailed Hawk 6
Rough-legged Hawk 1
American Kestrel 2
American Coot 10
Ring-billed Gull 10
California Gull 10
Rock Pigeon 10
Belted Kingfisher 1
Northern Shrike 1
Common Raven 4
Horned Lark 10
American Robin 50
European Starling 50
Red-winged Blackbird 20

Nez Perce County - 19 Species

Canada Goose 50
Tundra Swan 7
American Wigeon 2
Mallard 50
Bufflehead 2
Long-Tailed Duck
Double-crested Cormorant 5
Merlin 1
American Coot 10
Killdeer 1
Ring-billed Gull 10
California Gull 10
Rock Pigeon 10
Mourning Dove 1
American Robin 10
European Starling 10
Song Sparrow 1
Red-winged Blackbird 5
House Finch 1

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