Subject: [Tweeters] NE Oregon Bird Report and Trip Photos
Date: May 3 17:07:32 2009
From: Khanh Tran - fsprucegrouse at yahoo.com


Hi all!

This weekend, I combined some birding with abit of business as I spent almost 2
days in Union and Wallowa Counties. Despite intermittently bad weather, the
Wallowas never fails to deliver. It is always a TREAT to bird in one of my
favorite Oregon birding haunts. This area includes Joseph, Enterprise, Imnaha, and LaGrande areas.

Spring is late to arrive here and I didn't see very many passerines. Most trees
were still devoid of buds or full foliage. I had to snowshoe about 3/4 of a
mile in 4 feet of snow at McCully Creek near Joseph, Oregon.

For the most part, birding was somewhat slow and did not produce high diversity
of species but the quality was excellent!!

Highlights included seeing several GREAT GRAY OWLS in multiple locations, a
displaying male SPRUCE GROUSE, and seeing a good variety of woodpeckers and
fancy chickens.

I got to watch Mr. Bowtie hack a pellet from way up high in a tree. It was
quite loud when it hit the ground! I placed a quarter next to the pellets to
give you a size ratio in one of my photos. It is amazing how these forest
phantoms are so secretive for being such large bags of gray feathers!

Also, a quick and productive stop at MP 182 (Stanfield Meadows Rd) along Hwy
I-84 resulted with some good waterbirds.

See PHOTOS at:

http://www.pbase.com/spruce_grouse/recent_photos&page=all

Here are the SPECIES of interest and LOCATIONS:

********Spring Creek and Deadman Pass:*********

NORTHERN PYGMY OWL (heard only)
Long eared owl (heard only)
GREAT GRAY OWL (several birds along FR742 and FR2155)
Williamson's Sapsucker (several birds)
Red Naped Sapsucker
Black backed Woodpecker(several birds)
Pileated Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
White headed Woodpecker (near Bird Track Springs)
Western Wood Pewee (near Bird Track Springs)
Cassin's Finches (several birds)
Red Crossbills (two dozen or so birds)

**********Enterprise/Joseph/Imnaha areas*******

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (adult McCully Crk)
Swainson's Hawk (A pair School Flat Rd)
Golden Eagle (near Imnaha Hwy)
Ferruginous Hawk (near Imnaha Hwy)
Prairie Falcon (near Imnaha Hwy)
Long billed Curlew (Golf Course Rd)
GREAT GRAY OWL (Cascade Auto Loop Flora Hwy)
Short eared Owl (one hunting bird along Golf Course Rd)
Great Horned Owl (Turner Rd)
Dusky Grouse (Hurricane Crk Rd)
SPRUCE GROUSE (displaying male at McCully Crk)
Ruffed Grouse (McCully Crk-red phase bird)
MOUNTAIN QUAIL (one pair along Imnaha Hwy)
Lewis Woodpecker (Imnaha Hwy)
AMERICAN THREE TOE WOODPECKER (McCully Creek)
White throated Swifts (Imnaha Hwy)
Canyon Wren (Imnaha Hwy)
Western Kingbirds
Vesper Sparrow
Brewer's Sparrow
Lark Sparrow

GRASSHOPPER SPARROW (along Golf Course Rd-one bird after combing through many
Savannah sparrows)

Lazuli Buntings (along Imnaha Hwy)
PINE GROSBEAK (heard only in McCully Creek)

*******Along Hwy 84 and Rieft Rd near Echo, Oregon*****

White Pelican (Exit 182)
American Advocet (Exit 182)
Black necked Stilt (Exit 182)
Greater Yellowlegs (Exit 182)
Wilson's Pharalope (Exit 182)
SOLITARY SANDPIPER (two birds at Exit 182)
Dunlin (Exit 182)
LONG BILLED CURLEW (MP 145 on Hwy I-84)
cHUKAR (Mp 118 on Hwy I-84)

GRAY PATRIDGE (one pair around MP 215 before ascending to Deadman's Pass)

YELLOW BREASTED CHAT (near Rieft Rd)
Bullock's Oriole (near Rieft Rd)
Rock Wren (along Rieft Rd)

Good birding,

Khanh Tran (Portland, Oregon)