Birding with my wife and in-laws at Turnbull Wildlife Refuge, near Spokane, on Christmas Day I was surprised to encounter a Marsh Wren. It was in the rushes by the "spring" near the outlet (at the far end) of Cheever Lake. There was open water there, although in most other places in the refuge the streams and lakes were frozen to about 5" thick.

We also saw the birds I would have expected to see: Great Blue Herons, Red Crossbills, American Goldfinches, American Magpies, Red-Tailed Hawks, Mallards, Song Sparrows, Juncos, Ravens, Canada Geese, Black-Capped Chickadees, Robins, and an American Dipper, plus a big healthy Coyote and lots of Moose and Elk scat and tracks.

Gary Kelsberg
Seattle