Got out some this morning. Started at the Othello Cemetery where the 3
White-winged Crossbills were seen again near the entrance at the NW corner
around 9:30. They eventually flew into a nearby pine tree for a rest from
prying seeds out of spruce cones. A N Saw-whet Owl that has been seen
regularly for about a month was not found, but is probably still there in a
different tree. Sandhill Cranes were seen and heard in several locations
south and west of town. A Prairie Falcon guarded the entrance to the Adams
County Fairgrounds along Reynolds Road. A Horned Grebe was at Linda Lake
(west/north of SR 24) with a few Tundra Swans and thousands of waterfowl. A
Golden Eagle was working the north slope of Saddle Mountain off Kuhn Road.
The County Line Ponds had several Cackling Geese close enough to distinguish
easily. A Great Horned Owl is nesting at the Corfu woods again (and in the
canal bank where Seep Lakes Road crosses the Potholes Canal). On the Royal
Slope a Blue Jay continues at a private residence in Grant County. Royal
Lake has a ROSS'S GOOSE but it is a very difficult ID where seen on the
water. It likely feeds in the knocked-down corn east of Road E and 14.8 SE
where a scope view might offer a better look. Royal Lake is loaded with
Canada and Cackling Geese, Mallards and N Pintails as well as good numbers
of Canvasbacks and other ducks. Returning to town, a Merlin continues up
the hill from the Para Ponds, which are now mostly thawed.



I did not check for Burrowing Owls but they should start populating
traditional burrows (those that remain) over the next week or two. With
today's nice weather expect more cranes to arrive. Fall-winter closures on
Columbia NWR (other than the Royal Lake area) will open on March 1 to
walk-in entry (some gates will remain closed), but the Marsh Unit 1 and
Corfu fields will begin temporary closures for crane feeding and roosting.
The Corfu corn field this year is off Road C and should provide exceptional
morning viewing.



Randy Hill

Othello