Tweets,

David, Vicki King and I drove to Mazama on Sat., arriving at the Meadows Campground around 2:30 p.m. Many people saw the Hawk Owl that day--we were not 3 of them! The owl was seen and photographed from the astronomy observation hill about 40 min. before we arrived, and by Dennis P., Netta Smith, and Rolan N (see earlier post) from the road, while we were at Meadows. It was seen again by birder/campers at 6 in the evening--we were heading downhill by 5:30. When we arrived the next morning, the owl hadn't been seen. I believe we were the last to leave the area at about 3 on Sunday and that the owl was not by anyone all day. Paul Bannick, who had photographed it last weekend, speculated that it may be hunting in a wider area. It is one bird and a huge burn!

We would have felt lousy, but the weekend was beautiful with sun and fall colors. We had some nice consolation birds--the learlier described flock of Gray-crowned Rosy Finches wheeling around like Dunlin, settling on an incline, and moving uphill, as Vicki said, like locusts; a nice pair of Pine Grosbeak right near the road; and on Sunday a cooperative female Spruce Grouse we studied with open books for a good 15 minutes. (We would have said "eat your heart out, Khanh Tran," but he probably knows her by name!!) Standing in a group with Dennis Paulson, we all watched migrating Canada Geese, a Turkey Vulture, and had a good laugh as one Gray Jay landed on Dennis' camera lens, darkening it for a moment, and another strafed Mary Frances Matthis' jacketed arm.

In spite of missing our target bird, it was still a great weekend.

Penny Koyama, Bothell
plkoyama at verizon.net