Greetings All,
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After somewhere between 8 and 10 fruitless trips out into the wilds of Washington to spot a White-Winged Crossbill,? John English and I finally scored off Andy Stepniewski's timely report of White Wings seen up on Ahtanum Creek, west of Yakima.?
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Sparing NO expense, we left Sunday morning and scouted the area Sunday afternoon before even looking for a motel room.? At 0 dark 30 we were up and at it, tearing up the hill to Clover Flats Campground on the Middle Fork of the Ahtanun River (Creek?)? The CG is 9.2 miles past the end of the paved road up the middle fork.
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We spotted many juncos and Mountain Chickadees along with a few Townsends and Yellow-rumped Warblers, Stellers and Gray Jays.? The key, of course, to finding White-winged Crossbills is: Look at the treetops and watch for small flocks of finch-like flying objects.? Then get on them quick!? We had two flocks, one with 7 birds and a second about an hour later with 4 or 5 birds.? Good enought for Life Bird # 601!
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Beautiful weather up there, if a tad bit windy at times.
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Peace, Rolan