Tweeters,

I returned last night from a trip to the Okanogan. The highlight of the
trip was an encounter with two (possibly 3) Clay-colored Sparrows just north
of Havillah along the Havillah Road some 20 miles northeast of Tonasket.
A Vesper Sparrow perched on a barbed-wire fence caught my attention.
While looking at the Vesper, the buzzy song of the Clay-colored was
unmistakable across a small ravine. I played the song on my MP3 player and the bird
instantly responded by flying in close to my position next to the road. I
got a quick look at the bird, then spent the next 20 minutes trying for a
better view. Several times, multiple birds were chasing each other through
the sage-steppe shrubbery. Finally, the bird came in, sat on the wire and
sang repeatedly. I was able to snap a few digi-scope photos. The exact
location was .6 miles north of the church in Havillah, on the east side of the
road. The area is fenced. There is a slight rise to the fence from the
road, and then there is a ravine. The road curves to the north at this
point. The birds were actively singing in an area covering about 200 yards
north and south along the road.

Other Highlights:

Merlin: fly-over while camped at the Highland Sno-park lot.
Prairie Falcon: pair at a nest site in Pipestone Canyon near Lake
Pearrygin SP
Greater Yellowlegs: 1 in breeding plumage along Mary Anne Creek Rd (start
of fall migration!!)
Least Sandpiper: 3 Mary Anne Creek Rd (fall migration has started!!)
Gr. Horned Owl: 1 in fields at Highland Sno-park NO Gr. Gray seen )-:
Am. Three-toed Woodpecker: pair at nest hole at WA Pass Overlook SR #20
Black-backed Woodpecker: pair at Highland Sno-park lot
Red-eyed Vireo: on a nest at MP #112 along SR #20 near Newhalem and the
County-line Ponds
Am. Redstart: 1st year male singing on territory? at MP #112 on SR #20
Bobolink: 20+ in wet meadow along Havillah Road about 4 miles northeast
of Tonasket
Pine Grosbeak: 1 male observed singing near the visitors' center at WA Pass
Overlook on SR #20

It was cold (37 F) and very windy at Hart's Pass campground. Snow blocked
access to Slate pick less than a 1/2 mile past the "T" junction to Meadows
Campgroung