Hi all,



My husband had business in?Leavenworth ?today so I hitch a ride with him and we?made the loop to Othello.? Thanks to Randy Hill we finally found the BURROWING OWLS!?But it took hours before we could even look for them.? There is construction or heavy equipment working very close by and we didn't want to get in the way.? So, we made the trip to the cemetery to look for the WW CROSSBILLS , and yes they were still there.? We only got a quick view, not nearly enough time to get a picture.? Then we were completely surprised by the hoot hoot hoot of a GREAT HORNED OWL right in front of us.? She (guessing) is sitting on a nest right in the cemetery.? We heard another owl (male?) very close but we never did find him.? The trees there are very thick with branches and needles so he could have been there and we just couldn't see him.? When you enter the cemetery you can go straight or to the right? - go to the right and she is in the 5th tree on your left.? There is a flag pole across the lane from the nest.? The only view of the nest (and it's a bad view) is actually from the parking area directly across from the tree.? The nest is just a few feet from the top.? There are a lot of pellets on the ground under the second tree on your left.



We made one last trip back to the burrowing owl site hoping that the work had stopped for the day? - and thankfully it had.? So we stood by the heavy equipment and looked around and sure enough - there?THEY ?were!? After several trips over there between this year and last we finally saw them.? HURRAY!



As we left to head back to North Bend we were watching for SAND HILL CRANES but we couldn't see any.? We were beginning to wonder what was going on.? But, we finally found a very large flock of a couple hundred? on the north side?of Hwy 26 and east side of Hwy 262 (the road?to the Pot Holes).? There is a large? corn field near the intersection?and it looked like the cranes were flying in?from the direction of the Pot Holes.? There were a lot of them on the ground and more flying in to land there.?



Have a good evening

D. Lewis

North Bend

Debsstuff atcomcastdotnet