Subject: [Tweeters] 2009 WOS Okanogan/Waterville Plateau trip (long)
Date: Feb 17 20:47:39 2009
From: Rolan Nelson - rnbuffle at yahoo.com


Stefan,
?
Now we know you're exaggerating!? No body lets you use their toilets in Chesaw!
?
Great report.? Thanks!
?
-Rolan

Rolan Nelson
Fircrest, WA
rnbuffle at yahoo.com

--- On Tue, 2/17/09, Stefan Schlick <greenfant at hotmail.com> wrote:

From: Stefan Schlick <greenfant at hotmail.com>
Subject: [Tweeters] 2009 WOS Okanogan/Waterville Plateau trip (long)
To: "TWEETERS TWEETERS" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Date: Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 8:22 PM




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Thanks to the sharp eyes of our 15 participants (including your fearless leaders Ruth Sullivan and Stefan Schlick), this year's President's Day trip to Douglas and Okanogan counties was again a successful one. Our base was the inexpensive but good Motel Nicholas in Omak.

We had decent numbers of Rough-legged Hawks throughout the trip, but struggled with passerines away from towns. Neither in the Okanogan Highlands nor in the wooded portions of Cameron Lake Rd, the little birds were cooperative. We missed Snow Bunting, but the time spent on the Waterville Plateau was very focused on our targets. I'm not proud to say that we missed Great Horned Owl. :-)

2/14: Mansfield, Bridgeport and Brewster

We didn't want to get skunked on the staked-out rarities, so we made a beeline south for Mansfield where we got the NORTHERN HAWK OWL on our second attempt (thanks to Russ Koppendrayer for the phone call). The bird was at Rd B and Rd 15. In the meantime we checked out the town of Mansfield where we again had a Mansfield sighting in Mansfield. Scores of EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were hard to miss. At 2nd & Walnut was an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW.

On a tip from Meredith Spencer we headed east out of Mansfield on 172 and turned north on the Rd G. Soon after we had a scope on a SNOWY OWL, halfway between 172 and Rd 15, on the east side of Rd G.

On our way back towards Bridgeport, we got seconds of the Northern Hawk Owl. Just 0.5mi north along Bridgeport Hill Rd (Rd B) everybody got distant looks of a GYRFALCON perched up on a large rock, on the east side.

At the Chief Joseph Dam upriver from Bridgeport, the YELLOW-BILLED LOON was an easy get (my group was late, so we only got it for Douglas Co). As we were just about to leave, a first or second cycle GLAUCOUS GULL was cruising by, lazily crossing the county line several times before landing somewhere in the middle of Rufous Woods Lake. For access see Meredith Spencer's post from 2/12.

We immediately found a NORTHERN SAWWHET-OWL in the first of the two small confirs on back side loop at Bridgeport State Park.

En route to the Bridgeport Bar, we got great looks of a Merlin in Bridgeport. The HARRIS'S SPARROW at Moe & Grange continues. It was afternoon by then and the sparrows were somewhat secretive, but almost everybody got a good look at this bird.

The usual mix of ducks was in Brewster off Bruce Ave. We couldn't refind the Long-tailed Duck.

2/15: Conconully, Tonasket, Cameron Lake Rd

We got fantastic looks early morning of 7 SHARP-TAILED GROUSE at the intersection of Conconully Rd & Happy Hill Rd. From 200yds up Happy Hill Rd, we were finally able to nail down the ID on 2 GOLDEN EAGLES that afforded excellent views a while later.

In the town of Conconully, 8 EVENING GROSBEAK were perched up along Broadway. The birds didn't move until we left about 45min later. Also in and around town was a nice a assortment of all 3 nuthatches, Red Crossbill, Cassin's Finch, Clark's Nutcracker, Townsend's Solitaire, Pine Siskin and both eagles.

Another highlight of the day was a flock of about 60 COMMON REDPOLLS at 379 Riverside Cut-out Rd on out way back to Tonasket. Driving through Tonasket was unproductive.

Cameron Lake Rd was a great disappointment in the afternoon. Red Crossbills were all over in the pine woods, but we struggled to get anything else of note.

Another check for Long-tailed Ducks only yielded Lesser Scaup off Bruce Ave in Brewster.

2/16: Okanogan Highlands, Malott

Our our way to the Nealy Rd feeders early in the fog we had about 15 PINE GROSBEAK feeding on mullein stalks and on the ground near the intersection of Nealy & Grange Rd. The Nealy Rd feeders are about 2.5mi beyond the Grange intersection towards Chesaw. Both Hepburn and interior race of GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCH were perched up on a tree near the feeder, about 30+ birds in all. Nice scope views of these birds brought a smile to everybody.

At Nealy & Chesaw Rds we only had 2 Gray Jays, but Bolster Rd north of Chesaw proved to be well worth taking. First off, we had crippling looks of 8 more PINE GROSBEAKS. Then, at the same spot, a flock of about 50 COMMON REDPOLLS were swirling by for a quick visit. The winter hardy "Chesaw Kingfisher" sat on the wire on the way back into town. The Chesaw store was open and the friendly owners let the group use their restroom.

At the Chesaw cemetary were an astounding 16 more PINE GROSBEAK.

Leaving Chesaw heading west up the hill, 3 RUFFED GROUSE put on an amazing show for us. They let about 10 folks with cameras stand about 20ft away while 2 of them sat in a deciduous tree munching on seed pods. 6 more PINE GROSBEAK were along the coniferous portions of Mary Ann Ck Rd. Also along Mary Ann Ck Rd, 2 SHARP-TAILED GROUSE were briefly visible near the intersection with Poland China Rd and 3 more RUFFED GROUSE were low in the water birches by the road just another 0.8mi further.

Along Davies Rd, we had our only NORTHERN PYMGY-OWL of the trip and a tantalizing flock of unidentified winter finches. No Snow Buntings were found in the lower areas of Davies Rd, in fact we missed them altogether.

We finished the day at the town of Malott where several flocks of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS (thanks to Guy McWethy for leaving a message) were cruising through town, totalling a few hundred birds. EURASIAN COLLORED-DOVES were an easy county tick (for me at least). A MERLIN was also present.

Stefan Schlick
Hillsboro, OR




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