Subject: [Tweeters] Northern Hawk Owl and Gyrfalcon success
Date: Feb 15 22:19:52 2009
From: Rob McNair-Huff - rob at whiterabbits.com


Natalie and I made a whirlwind 480-mile trip from Tacoma
to the Waterville Plateau area in Eastern Washington today
to find the Northern Hawk Owl in the Mansfield area and
whatever other species we could find along the way.
Despite snow that fell steadily at times and generally
foggy conditions, we had a great day! A kind birder with
Idaho license plates pointed out the Northern Hawk Owl
sitting on a pole along B Street NE, and the bird flew to
an even better location on an open branch 20 yards or so
from the road. We took some photos and enjoyed close
binocular views from inside our car, before we set out to
find other birds in the area.

Among our other sightings, we watched and took very
distant photos of a Gyrfalcon near the intersection of
Hwy. 172 and C Street NE. The bird first landed in a
treetop then flew to a nearby power pole before flying
across the fields to the north. We tried to relocate the
Gyrfalcon after watching the Northern Hawk Owl for a
while, but couldn't find it again.

Also near Hwy. 172 and C Street NE we found a Northern
Shrike on the telephone line.

We encountered small flocks of Horned Lark along Hwy. 172
as well as along Lamoine Road on our way out of the area
this afternoon. Snow Bunting were mixed in with the flocks
in a couple of places near Withrow.

Try as we might, we were unable to find any crossbills at
the Mansfield Cemetary or anywhere else in the area. We
did see at least eight Rough-legged Hawks throughout our
time birding on the plateau.

Happy birding!

--
Rob McNair-Huff ---------- Tacoma, WA
Author of Washington Disasters (Globe Pequot, 2006),
Birding Washington (Falcon Publishing, 2004)
and Insider's Guide to the Olympic Peninsula (Globe
Pequot, 2001)
Mac Net Journal ---------- http://www.macnetjournal.com