A mix of winter and spring today. I went to the cemetery east of town to
try to locate the Brown Creeper that Nancy LaFramboise heard last week.
Again only Golden-crowned Kinglets (and Red-breasted Nuthatches) seen but a
creeper is probably hiding there somewhere. After she reported the
White-winged Crossbills I checked that same day without success, but I did
see them there today (1 male, 1 female, 1 with more streaking.) I plan to
watch this spot since it has enough spruce trees to keep them occupied for
awhile. Maybe we will get a nest.



One Burrowing Owl was out and visible up the drainage ditch north of Sutton
Road. Scope view, no photo opportunities as this is a private field and
road along the ditch. It is directly north of the paved runway half way
between SR 17 and Reynolds Road.



Blackbirds are not concentrating at feedlots recently, although about 200
were on wires near the Para Ponds, including one Tricolored Blackbird. I
found thousands of Red-winged Blackbirds feeding in an apple orchard under
the trees as starlings often do, but many redwings are singing on territory
now. In Columbia NWR, the Great Horned Owl has returned to nest in the bank
70 yards upstream from the Potholes Canal bridge along the Seep Lakes Road.
This area is closed to entry until March 1. Marsh Unit 1 had 3 American
Bitterns where there is some open water. Potholes Reservoir is still frozen
at the dam, as are most of the lakes on the refuge and as you head north.
Royal Lake is loaded with waterfowl, mostly Mallards, pintails, and geese
but there are Canvasbacks passing through now as well. Corfu Road had a
Golden Eagle and Rough-legged Hawk, and 4 Sandhill Cranes flew over while I
was there. They were reported at Scooteney Reservoir last week and will be
building in numbers for the next 5-6 weeks.



Randy Hill

Othello