Operating within a highly restricted time window today (6/16/09, Jon Isacoff and I judiciously targeted our most wanted county birds for Pend Oreille County. Just as the sun beamed through out the morning, good fortune shined on our little birding venture too.

In Allen Road's County Line Meadows, we coaxed a BOBOLINK from Pend Oreille County across the line into into Spokane County. This is the only spot where one can reliably pick up Bobolink for Spokane County.

Our next stop along Allen Road was at the famous Timberline Mural Hill (named after the colorful billboard that adorns the roadside). Previously at this site, Clay-colored Sparrow, Gray Flycatcher, and Northern Mockingbird have been recorded.

Since Terry Little had originally found this particular bird about a week ago, we wanted to try our luck as well. It wasn't long before we were viewing a singing CLAY-COLORED SPARROW that was being continually harassed by a male CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD.

Dashing up north of Cusick, we saw more BOBOLINKs in the Cusick Meadows (south of town). Parking at the junction of Westside-Calispell Road and Hwy 20 (just south of Tacoma Creek), we had a singing LEAST FLYCATCHER and a COOPER'S HAWK.

As we hiked out toward the Pend Oreille River along the PUD dike, we noted YELLOW WARBLER, C. YELLOWTHROAT, RED-EYED VIREO, GRAY CATBIRD, CEDAR WAXWING, DC CORMORANT, BALD EAGLE, OSPREY, BULLOCK'S ORIOLE, SONG SPARROW,and GREAT BLUE HERON. Where the PUD dike crosses the railroad, we heard a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT singing, and we were soon enjoying wonderful views of this marvelous county lifer. This is the same general area that John Stuart has had them a few years ago.

Gina Sheridan
Spokane, WA