Despite the less than favorable weather on Friday
(/3/14/08), Jon Isacoff and I birded the route from
Grand Coulee, through northern Douglas County, and
selected sites in southern Okanogan County. Showers of
snow, rain, and various precip combinations pelted us
through half the day, but things improved by the
afternoon.

Our first good bird of the day was a full adult
THAYER'S GULL that was in Spring Canyon Campground,
Lincoln County. In fact, this was the only gull
present at this location. During our visit, we noted
that the Thayer's was in crisp alternate plumage, and
it conveniently remained perched on the boom at the
boat launch. This species is not listed on my Lincoln
County list, but I'm not sure as to whether it is
actually a first county record. At any rate the
Thayer's Gull was Lincoln County lifer for me and an
ABA lifer for John.

Our next stop was at Coulee Playland in Electric City,
Grant County. Greeting us from the boom was a snowy
white, first year, GLAUCOUS GULL (ABA lifer for Jon),
CALIFORNIA GULLs, HERRING GULLs, and a yet another
adult THAYER'S GULL. In the marina, there were COMMON
GOLDENEYEs, and a pair of BARROW'S GOLDENEYEs.

Later, a visit to the Grand Coulee Dam failed to
produce any other gull rarities. On hand, were a SAY'S
PHOEBE, WESTERN MEADOWLARK, and plenty of Herring
Gulls. While a late morning stop at Leahy Junction,
Douglas County did not yield any Sage Grouse, we were
pleased to see an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW and a GOLDEN
EAGLE.

At the Lakewood Golf Course on the border of
Bridgeport State Park, we relocated the HARRIS'S
SPARROW. While the Harris's Sparrow milled around the
feeder with WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWs, SONG SPARROW, and
a couple of juncos, we beheld excellent views of this
buffy-faced, adult bird. This species was Okanogan
County lifer for me and another ABA lifer for Jon.

Although we did not experience the miracle of
refinding the McKay's Bunting on Lake Cameron Road, we
thoroughly enjoyed the antics of SANDHILL CRANEs, and
the beauty of TUNDRA SWANs of MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDs.
Unfortunately, we did not see any longspurs or
buntings.

The watercourses of the Okanogan River and the Methow
River mouth held plenty of waterfowl, but no rarities.
As darkness encroached, we wrapped up this satisfying
day on the Bridgeport Bar.

Jon's EBird extract is listed below:

Gina Sheridan
Spokand, WA

Okanogan - 51

Canada Goose 200
Tundra Swan 21
Gadwall 4
American Wigeon 100
Mallard 100
Northern Pintail 4
Canvasback 10
Redhead 30
Ring-necked Duck 50
Greater Scaup 10
Lesser Scaup 10
Bufflehead 1
Common Goldeneye 50
Hooded Merganser 4
Ruddy Duck 3
Ring-necked Pheasant 1
California Quail 1
Common Loon 4
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Horned Grebe 4
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Bald Eagle 2
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 6
Rough-legged Hawk 5
American Kestrel 1
American Coot 500
Sandhill Crane 46
Killdeer 7
Ring-billed Gull 6
California Gull 4
Northern Flicker 4
Say's Phoebe 4
Northern Shrike 1
Black-billed Magpie 1
American Crow 2
Common Raven 8
Horned Lark 50
Violet-green Swallow 8
Black-capped Chickadee 1
Mountain Bluebird 2
American Robin 50
European Starling 50
Song Sparrow 3
Harris's Sparrow 1
White-crowned Sparrow 20
Dark-eyed Junco 20
Red-winged Blackbird 50
Western Meadowlark 10
House Finch 4
House Sparrow 10

Douglas County - 24 Species

Canada Goose 100
American Wigeon 6
Mallard 100
Common Goldeneye 1
Ruddy Duck 20
Common Loon 2
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Golden Eagle 1
Killdeer 2
Black-billed Magpie 3
Common Raven 4
Horned Lark 20
Tree Swallow 14
Black-capped Chickadee 1
American Robin 50
European Starling 50
American Tree Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 2
White-crowned Sparrow 25
Dark-eyed Junco 20
Red-winged Blackbird 10
Western Meadowlark 4
House Finch 10
House Sparrow 10

Grant County - 14 Species

Common Goldeneye 2
Barrow's Goldeneye 2
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Killdeer 2
Ring-billed Gull 1
California Gull 1
Herring Gull 20
Thayer's Gull 1
Glaucous Gull 1
Say's Phoebe 1
Black-billed Magpie 2
Western Meadowlark 1
House Finch 12
American Goldfinch 40

Lincoln County - 4 Species

Red-tailed Hawk 2
Rough-legged Hawk 2
Thayer's Gull 1
Western Meadowlark 1


____________________________________________________________________________________
Be a better friend, newshound, and
know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ