On a rather rainy inauspicious Friday morning (7/02/10), Matthew Moskwik, Jon Isacoff, and I birded southern Pend Oreille County. The chilly (w/ 50 degree temps in the morning) rain suppressed some avian activity, but we still managed to find some of our target birds.

Highlights of the day included a singing CLAY-COLORED SPARROW at the corner of Milan Farms & Kirkpatrick Roads, cooperative AMERICAN REDSTARTs (at least 3 pairs) and a pair of NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH at the traditional S. Calispell Creek bridge crossing on W. Calispell Road., another NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH on the shoreline of Sportsman Pond, WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHes on the P-Pine cloaked slopes above Calispell Lake, and two AMERICAN BITTERNs flying over the far shore of Calispell Lake.

Perhaps the most gratifying find of the day was an active nest of AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKERs on Tacoma Creek Road. At this unusually low elevation site (around 2500'), both parents came in to feed a noisy hungry brood of youngsters. We could see that one of the chicks already had a nice yellow crown patch on it's head.

While working the western section of Scotia Road for the infrequently seen White-headed Woodpecker (dipped on that), we finished up the day with our last specie of the day, a flyover PILEATED WOODPECKER.

Since each of us managed to pick up at least one P.O. County lifer for the day, we were well pleased with our early summer outing. Aside from enjoying the avifauna, it was wonderful to catch up with my good friend Matthew (whom I haven't seen for about three years) again and of course to bird with my South Hill friend Jon.

Summering on in the Inland NW,

Gina Sheridan
Spokane, WA