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Eight west-siders from the Seattle/Bellevue/Issaquah area
(Sharon Cormier-Aagaard, Scott Ramos, Etta Cosey, Liz Cormier, Margaret
Snell,
Katherine Schloemer, Stan Wood, and Paul Schloemer) spent several days
(Wed,
May 13 through Sunday, May 17) exploring primarily Okanogan and Ferry
Counties. (Sharon, Liz, Etta and
Margaret stayed one day longer, and returned home on Monday, May 18).



We left the west side late afternoon on Wednesday, May 13,
and overnighted in Wenatchee. Early the next morning we drove to Buzzard
Lake Road
in Okanogan County, the official start of our
east side birding trip. From there, we
traveled many new roads and areas in the two counties, including Pleasant
Valley
Rd and Leader Lake, Conconully State Park, Green Lake and the Sinlahekin
Valley, Toats Coulee Rd, Loomis-Oroville Rd, Ellemeham Rd, Klein Wildlife
Area,
Havillah area, Davies - Fletcher Rds, Molson area, Mary Ann Creek Rd,
Chesaw Wildlife Area, Golden Tiger Marsh in
Republic, Swan Lake area, and the Sanpoil River Valley.



Here's a breakdown of birds seen in each area with
highlights noted.



Location: Buzzard Lake Rd

Observation date:
5/14/09

Number of species:
35



Sooty Grouse 1

we flushed a male Sooty very near one of our cars; it flew
up to a conifer and was still perched as we left

Cooper's Hawk 1

American Kestrel 1

Merlin 1

Killdeer 3

Wilson's Snipe 1 perched for over 30 minutes on the top of a utility
pole while we birded nearby


Mourning Dove 5

Hairy Woodpecker 2

Northern Flicker 1

Dusky Flycatcher 2

Say's Phoebe 2

Western Kingbird
10

Clark's Nutcracker 1

Common Raven 4

Violet-green Swallow
15

Northern Rough-winged Swallow 5

Mountain Chickadee
3

Red-breasted Nuthatch
3

House Wren 1

Ruby-crowned Kinglet
2

Western Bluebird 3

American Robin 5

Orange-crowned Warbler
2

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 10

Spotted Towhee 1

Chipping Sparrow 4

Vesper Sparrow 2

Song Sparrow 5

Black-headed Grosbeak
1

Red-winged Blackbird
15

Western Meadowlark
10

Brewer's Blackbird
20

Brown-headed Cowbird
5

Cassin's Finch 3

Pine Siskin 2



Location: Pleasant
Valley Rd

Observation date:
5/14/09

Number of species:
8



Black-billed Magpie
2

American Robin 3

European Starling
5

Yellow Warbler 1

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 2

Western Tanager 3

Chipping Sparrow 3

Bullock's Oriole 2



Location: Leader Lake

Observation date:
5/14/09

Number of species:
13



Canada
Goose 6

Mallard 6

Turkey Vulture 1

Osprey 4

Northern Goshawk 1

Long-billed Dowitcher
25

Black-chinned Hummingbird
1

Steller's Jay 1

Mountain Chickadee
2

American Robin 5

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 6

Spotted Towhee 1

Brewer's Blackbird
5



Location: Green Lake

Observation date:
5/14/09

Number of species:
35



Gadwall 4

Mallard 20

Northern Shoveler
2

Canvasback 4

Redhead 8

Ring-necked Duck 4

Greater Scaup 5

Barrow's Goldeneye
20

Ruddy Duck 20

several males in breeding plumage, slapping their chests
with their blue bills

Pied-billed Grebe
1

Prairie Falcon 2

flying in front of and above a cliff area with good views of
their field marks

Virginia
Rail 1

Sora 1

American Coot 5

Killdeer 1

Spotted Sandpiper
2

Greater Yellowlegs
2

Wilson's Phalarope
1

Black-chinned Hummingbird
1

Willow Flycatcher
1

Cassin's Vireo 1

Tree Swallow 30

Violet-green Swallow
20

Northern Rough-winged Swallow 15

Bank Swallow 5

Cliff Swallow 15

Barn Swallow 10

Black-capped Chickadee
2

American Robin 5

Orange-crowned Warbler
1

Yellow Warbler 2

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 5

Common Yellowthroat
2

Red-winged Blackbird
30

Yellow-headed Blackbird
30



Location: Conconully State Park

Observation date:
5/14/09

Number of species:
18



American Wigeon 2

California
Quail 1

Red-necked Grebe 1

Spotted Sandpiper
1

Ring-billed Gull 1

Calliope Hummingbird
1

Downy Woodpecker 1

Eastern Kingbird 1

Cassin's Vireo 1

Clark's Nutcracker 1

Tree Swallow 15

Barn Swallow 20

American Robin 10

Yellow Warbler 2

Common Yellowthroat
2

Song Sparrow 3

Red-winged Blackbird
10

Brewer's Blackbird
15



Location: Sinlahekin Valley

Observation date:
5/14/09

Number of species:
26



Canada
Goose 4

Mallard 6

Ring-necked Duck 2

Lesser Scaup 4

Barrow's Goldeneye
4

Ring-necked Pheasant
1

Bald Eagle 1

Northern Harrier 2

American Kestrel 3

Killdeer 5

Mourning Dove 2

Belted Kingfisher
1

Northern Flicker 2

Western Kingbird 4

American Crow 5

Tree Swallow 15

Northern Rough-winged Swallow 5

Nashville
Warbler 1

Yellow Warbler 1

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 3

Townsend's Warbler
1

MacGillivray's Warbler
1

Common Yellowthroat
1

Song Sparrow 3

Red-winged Blackbird
5

Brewer's Blackbird
5



Location: Toats Coulee Rd

Observation date:
5/15/09

Number of species:
39



Ring-necked Pheasant
1

Red-tailed Hawk 2

Golden Eagle 1

American Kestrel 2

Lewis's Woodpecker
19

neat to watch this good-sized nesting colony in several
Cottonwood snags near a farm (heading north from the town of Loomis on the
Loomis-Oroville Road, turn West on Toats Coulee Road; the colony is about
a
mile from the turn off)

Red-naped Sapsucker
2

Downy Woodpecker 2

Hairy Woodpecker 1

Northern Flicker 1

Pileated Woodpecker
1

Hammond's
Flycatcher 2

Say's Phoebe 1

Western Kingbird 6

Cassin's Vireo 3

Warbling Vireo 1

Steller's Jay 1

American Crow 10

Common Raven 5

Tree Swallow 20

Black-capped Chickadee
2

Mountain Chickadee
6

Red-breasted Nuthatch
4

Pygmy Nuthatch 1

House Wren 4

Ruby-crowned Kinglet
3

Mountain Bluebird
2

Townsend's Solitaire
2

American Robin 10

Orange-crowned Warbler
3

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 10

Townsend's Warbler
2

Chipping Sparrow 6

Lincoln's
Sparrow 2

White-crowned Sparrow
2

Dark-eyed Junco 5

Western Meadowlark
10

Brown-headed Cowbird
5

Bullock's Oriole 2

Cassin's Finch 2



Location: Loomis-Oroville Rd

Observation date:
5/15/09

Number of species:
12



Red-tailed Hawk 4

Golden Eagle 1

Killdeer 1

Lewis's Woodpecker
10

Western Kingbird 6

Black-billed Magpie
5

American Crow 10

Tree Swallow 20

Cliff Swallow 60

Canyon Wren 1

Brewer's Blackbird
20

Bullock's Oriole 2



Location: Ellemeham Rd

Observation date:
5/15/09

Number of species:
19



California
Quail 2

Northern Goshawk 1

Red-tailed Hawk 3

Killdeer 3

Northern Flicker 1

Say's Phoebe 1

Western Kingbird
12

Black-billed Magpie
5

Tree Swallow 20

House Wren 2

Western Bluebird 3

Sage Thrasher 1

Yellow Warbler 2

Spotted Towhee 2

Chipping Sparrow
10

Brewer's Sparrow 2

Vesper Sparrow 2

White-crowned Sparrow
2

American Goldfinch
6



Location: Klein
Wildlife Area

Observation date:
5/15/09

Number of species:
21



Canada
Goose 15

Wood Duck 2

Hooded Merganser 2

Common Merganser
20

Ring-necked Pheasant
1

California
Quail 2

Osprey 1

Bald Eagle 3

Red-tailed Hawk 1

Mourning Dove 2

Black-chinned Hummingbird
1

Northern Flicker 2

Black-billed Magpie
2

American Crow 6

Tree Swallow 20

Cliff Swallow 10

Black-capped Chickadee
3

American Robin 8

European Starling
10

Brewer's Blackbird
10

American Goldfinch
5



Location: Havillah Rd

Observation date:
5/16/09

Number of species:
23



California
Quail 2

Swainson's Hawk 2

Red-tailed Hawk 3

American Kestrel 2

Mourning Dove 4

Lewis's Woodpecker
2

Northern Flicker 1

American Crow 10

Common Raven 3

Tree Swallow 15

Mountain Chickadee
4

White-breasted Nuthatch
1

Pygmy Nuthatch 1

Western Bluebird 2

Mountain Bluebird
1

Townsend's Solitaire
1

American Robin 15

European Starling
5

Chipping Sparrow 4

Western Meadowlark
10

Brewer's Blackbird
20

Brown-headed Cowbird
5

Cassin's Finch 2



Location:
Havillah--Mill Creek

Observation date:
5/16/09

Number of species:
15



Wild Turkey 1

Turkey Vulture 1

Lewis's Woodpecker
1

Williamson's Sapsucker
1

we got great looks at this male who was clinging to a fence
post and doing territorial drumming

Downy Woodpecker 1

Pileated Woodpecker
1

Western Wood-Pewee
1

Hammond's
Flycatcher 2

Say's Phoebe 2

Cassin's Vireo 2

Red-breasted Nuthatch
6

Ruby-crowned Kinglet
4

one was seemingly stuck on part of it's song for 60 seconds
before completing it
(repeated the same note over, and over, and over for a
full minute)!

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 5

Townsend's Warbler
2

Savannah
Sparrow 3



Location: Hungry Hollow Rd

Observation date:
5/16/09

Number of species:
6



American Kestrel 2

Great Horned Owl 2

a parent on the nest with one young bird

Pileated Woodpecker
1

Steller's Jay 1

Clark's Nutcracker 1

House Wren 1



Location: Muskrat Lake

Observation date:
5/16/09

Number of species:
8



Gadwall 2

American Wigeon 2

Mallard 4

Northern Harrier 1

Mourning Dove 2

Tree Swallow 6

American Robin 4

Brewer's Blackbird
10



Location: Davies -
Fletcher Rds

Observation date:
5/16/09

Number of species:
27



Canada
Goose 2

American Wigeon 2

Mallard 2

Green-winged Teal
3

Redhead 2

Ring-necked Duck 2

Greater Scaup 3

Bufflehead 4

Barrow's Goldeneye
2

Ruddy Duck 2

Cooper's Hawk 1

Red-tailed Hawk 1

American Kestrel 1

American Coot 2

Wilson's Phalarope
2

Mourning Dove 2

Belted Kingfisher
1

Red-naped Sapsucker
1

Cassin's Vireo 1

Tree Swallow 8

Cliff Swallow 8

American Robin 3

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 2

Wilson's Warbler 1

Song Sparrow 2

Yellow-headed Blackbird
8

Brewer's Blackbird
6



Location: Molson

Observation date:
5/16/09

Number of species:
28



Canada
Goose 8

Gadwall 4

Mallard 12

Blue-winged Teal 6

our only sighting of this Teal

Cinnamon Teal 4

Northern Shoveler
6

Green-winged Teal
6

Greater Scaup 2

Lesser Scaup 6

Bufflehead 6

Barrow's Goldeneye
12

Hooded Merganser 6

Ruddy Duck 10

loon sp. 1

Pied-billed Grebe
1

Red-necked Grebe 2

Osprey 1

Red-tailed Hawk 1

American Kestrel 1

Wilson's Snipe 1

Tree Swallow 20

Cliff Swallow 10

Barn Swallow 20

Mountain Bluebird
2

Yellow Warbler 1

Red-winged Blackbird
12

Western Meadowlark
2

Yellow-headed Blackbird
12



Location: Nine Mile Rd

Observation date:
5/16/09

Number of species:
10



Northern Flicker 1

Pygmy Nuthatch 1

House Wren 2

American Robin 4

Wilson's Warbler 1

Vesper Sparrow 2

Savannah
Sparrow 1

Song Sparrow 2

Western Meadowlark
2

American Goldfinch
3



Location: Mary Ann Creek Rd

Observation date:
5/16/09

Number of species:
26



Cinnamon Teal 5

Green-winged Teal
4

Bufflehead 2

Barrow's Goldeneye
2

Ruddy Duck 2

Northern Harrier 1

Cooper's Hawk 1

American Coot 2

Black-chinned Hummingbird
1

Calliope Hummingbird
1

Northern Flicker 1

Western Kingbird 5

Tree Swallow 15

Violet-green Swallow
10

Northern Rough-winged Swallow 5

House Wren 1

Ruby-crowned Kinglet
1

Yellow Warbler 1

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 2

Common Yellowthroat
1

Vesper Sparrow 1

Red-winged Blackbird
5

Western Meadowlark
5

Brewer's Blackbird
10

Pine Siskin 3

American Goldfinch
4



Location: Bolster Rd

Observation date:
5/16/09

Number of species:
12



Killdeer 1

Northern Flicker 1

Western Kingbird 3

Black-billed Magpie
2

Black-capped Chickadee
2

House Wren 1

Ruby-crowned Kinglet
1

Orange-crowned Warbler
1

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 1

Song Sparrow 3

Lazuli Bunting 3

Brewer's Blackbird
10





Location: Myers Creek Rd

Observation date:
5/16/09

Number of species:
4



Northern Harrier 1

Mourning Dove 2

Black-chinned Hummingbird
1

Mountain Chickadee
3



Location: Lost
Lake, Okanogan Co.

Observation date:
5/16/09

Number of species:
16



Canada
Goose 4

Cinnamon Teal 3

Green-winged Teal
4

Hooded Merganser 3

Common Loon 2

Spotted Sandpiper
1

Pileated Woodpecker
1

Hammond's
Flycatcher 1

Gray Jay 1

Common Raven 2

Tree Swallow 10

Northern Rough-winged Swallow 5

Ruby-crowned Kinglet
2

American Robin 3

Red-winged Blackbird
4

Pine Siskin 3



Location: Golden
Tiger Marsh, Republic

Observation date:
5/17/09

Number of species:
7



Canada
Goose 4

Cinnamon Teal 4

Wilson's Snipe 2

Mourning Dove 2

Common Yellowthroat
1

Song Sparrow 5

Red-winged Blackbird
30



Location: Swan Lake area

Observation date:
5/17/09

Number of species:
25



Ruffed Grouse 1 heard only


Common Loon 2

two birds,
assume nesting pair, calling as well as seen on lake & flying

Bald Eagle 1

Northern Pygmy-Owl
1 heard only


Rufous Hummingbird 1

Red-naped Sapsucker
1

Pileated Woodpecker 1

Hammond's
Flycatcher 1

Dusky Flycatcher 2

Cassin's Vireo 2

Gray Jay 3

Common Raven 1

Black-capped Chickadee
2

Mountain Chickadee
5

Red-breasted Nuthatch
8

Golden-crowned Kinglet 1

Ruby-crowned Kinglet
5

American Robin 6

Yellow Warbler 2

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 4

Townsend's Warbler 1

Wilson's Warbler 1

Chipping Sparrow 4

Song Sparrow 3

Brewer's Blackbird
5



Location: Sanpoil River Valley

Observation dates:
5/17/09 & 5/18/09

Number of species:
57



Canada Goose 1

Mallard 2

Common Merganser 3

Ruffed Grouse 1

heard only,
several times both mornings, at Bear Creek Campgroud

Turkey Vulture 2

Osprey 2

near town
of Keller

Bald Eagle 1

Red-tailed Hawk 1

American Kestrel 1

Spotted Sandpiper
1

Mourning Dove 1

Vaux's Swift 3

Black-chinned Hummingbird
1

Rufous Hummingbird 1

Belted Kingfisher
1

Red-naped Sapsucker 1

Hairy Woodpecker 1

Northern Flicker 1

Hammond's
Flycatcher 3

Dusky Flycatcher 1

Western Kingbird 2

Cassin's Vireo 1

Warbling Vireo 1

Steller's Jay 1

Tree Swallow 20

Violet-green Swallow
20

Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2

Cliff Swallow 4

Barn Swallow 4

Red-breasted Nuthatch
1

Canyon Wren 1

Ruby-crowned Kinglet
1

Western Bluebird 1

Veery 1

American Robin 3

European Starling 1

Orange-crowned Warbler
1

Nashville
Warbler 10

Yellow Warbler 2

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 2

Northern Waterthrush 1

perched out
in the open in marshy habitat & singing non-stop

MacGillivray's Warbler
1

heard only

Common Yellowthroat 4

Western Tanager 4

Spotted Towhee 2

Chipping Sparrow 4

Vesper Sparrow 1

Song Sparrow 2

Lazuli Bunting 1

Red-winged Blackbird
10

Western Meadowlark
2

Bullock's Oriole 1

Cassin's Finch 8

House Finch 1

Pine Siskin 6

American Goldfinch 4

Evening Grosbeak
10





Location: Coulee
Dam RA

Observation date:
5/17/09

Number of species:
10



Northern Harrier 1

Western Kingbird 3

Tree Swallow 10

Cliff Swallow 20

American Robin 5

Yellow Warbler 2

Lazuli Bunting 1

Bullock's Oriole 2

American Goldfinch
4

House Sparrow 10





Location: Sherman Pass

the trails were impassable with lots of snow on the ground,
so it was a short up and back trip to the top

Observation date:
5/18/09

Number of species:
2



Mountain Chickadee 1

Red-breasted Nuthatch
1





Location: Banks Lake,
near Steamboat Rock

Observation date:
5/18/09

Number of species:
5



Western Grebe 12

6 pairs,
with 2 performing mating "dance"

Great Blue Heron 1

Red-tailed Hawk 1

Ring-billed Gull 15

White-throated Swift
6



Of note, we saw a probable nesting Swainson's Hawk (the bird
was on the nest about 7 feet off the ground in a small bush with leaves in
front so hard to see) just east of the town of Douglas on past mile marker
162 on
Hwy 2, on the right side of the road near a round storage-type building.



Also of note is a very large burn area on the Colville
Indian Reservation. According to Google,
well over 5000 acres were burned in August of 2008. Unfortunately, when we
drove through, we were
out of birding time so didn't stop but salivated & whined a lot and wished
we had at least another day to investigate this area for American
Three-toed
& Black-backed Woodpeckers.



Birds we worked hard for but missed, either because they had
not arrived yet, or we just plain missed seeing/hearing them:

Northern Pintail, Horned Grebe, Black Tern, Great Gray Owl,
American Three-toed Woodpecker, Black-backed Woodpecker, Brown Creeper,
Marsh
Wren (this miss was a big surprise to all), American Dipper, American
Redstart,
Grasshopper Sparrow, & Fox Sparrow).



It was a GREAT trip with GREAT people.



Good birding!

Sharon Cormier-Aagard