Last week I spent several days birding northeast Washington, meeting
up with Jon Isacoff for parts of Wednesday through Friday, and Tim
O'Brien on Friday morning.

Waterbird numbers Monday evening at Wilson Creek were impressive,
highlighted by thousands of American Coots. ?Several of the yellowlegs
there were singing.

I heard drumming Ruffed Grouse twice, both times at dusk, continuing
as late as 10:55PM.

I was under the impression that the road up to Mt Salmo was closed,
but apparently the boulder was cleared since I was able to make it up.
?It was a fortunate decision to try out the road, since near the top,
just after it got dark, I was able to see a Boreal Owl flying around
that soon broke into his full song for at least fifteen minutes!
Certainly the highlight of the trip as far as I'm concerned.

Highlights:
American Wigeon - brood at Harrington STP 6/29
Canvasback - two broods at Calispell Lake 7/3
Common Goldeneye - brood at Potter's Pond in Little Pend Oreille NWR
and 1M at Colville STP 7/1, brood at Big Meadow Lake 7/2
Barrow's Goldeneye - brood between Ione and Metaline 7/2
Dusky Grouse - 1 Togo Mountain 6/30
Common Loon - 2 Big Meadow Lake 7/2
Red-necked Grebe - 2 Lake Leo 7/1, 1 Sullivan Lake 7/3
Am White Pelican - 440 Wilson Creek 6/29, 200 Calispell Lake 7/3
American Coot - 2520+ Wilson Creek 6/29
Greater Yellowlegs - 12 Wilson Creek 6/29
Bonaparte's Gull - 4 Sprague STP 7/3
Flammulated Owl - 2 Rail Canyon 6/29
Northern Pygmy-Owl - 1 Sullivan Lake 7/3
Barred Owl - 1 Big Meadow Lake 7/1 & 7/2
Boreal Owl - 1 Mt Salmo 7/2
Common Poorwill - 1 N of Reardan 6/29
Lewis's Woodpecker - 1 Hill Loop Road W of Barstow 6/30
White-headed Woodpecker - 1 Little Pend Oreille NWR HQ 7/1
Am Three-toed Woodpecker - 1 Mt Salmo 7/2
Black-backed Woodpecker - 6 in burn S of Barstow 6/30 (two families)
Rock Wren - 1 Pass Creek Pass 7/2
Boreal Chickadee - 1 Bunchgrass Meadows 7/3
American Redstart - 1 Amazon Creek 7/1, 1 between Ione and Metaline 7/2
Northern Waterthrush - 3 Amazon Creek 7/1, 2 Big Meadow Lake 7/2
Yellow-breasted Chat - 2 Beardslee Road W of Barstow 6/30
Clay-colored Sparrow - 1 singing at Cottonwood Creek on Seven Mile
Road west of Davenport 6/29

Also a Black Bear, Beaver, several Snowshore Hares, two Coyotes seen
plus many more heard, and a variety of butterflies and dragonflies. ?A
few pictures including the Dusky Grouse are online now, with more to
come.

Good birding,
Ryan Merrill
Kirkland, WA
www.flickr.com/photos/rjm284