Subject: [Tweeters] EAS trip 6-8 July 2010 to the Methow and Okanogan (long
Date: Jul 10 14:31:37 2010
From: B&PBell - bellasoc at isomedia.com


Hi Ho Tweets



On July 6-8, 2010 I lead an Eastside Audubon trip to the Methow and Okanogan Valleys. We started early (5:30 AM) on the 6th from Kirkland and rapidly picked up AMERICAN CROW, AMERICAN ROBIN and EUROPEAN STARLING. We made our way north under clear skies thru Darrington and down to Rockport.



At the Steelhead Park in Rockport we quickly picked up NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED, BARN, CLIFF and VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWs, AMERICAN ROBIN, CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, EUROPEAN STARLING, SWAINSON'S THRUSH (across the Skagit River), STELLER'S JAY, HOUSE FINCH, and BAND-TAILED PIGEON. None of the feeders had seeds in them and no hummingbirds visited the feeder.



A few miles down the road we stopped at Corkindale Creek and had flyovers of BANK SWALLOW, BREWER'S BLACKBIRDs (feeding in grassy areas alongside the road), more AMERICAN ROBINs, a singing COMMON YELLOWTHROAT and SWAINSON'S THRUSH.



At the county line ponds at the Skagit/Whatcom County line we walked a ways down the powerline access road on the north side of the road and saw or heard MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER, SWAINSON'S THRUSH, WILLOW FLYCATCHER, and PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER. Across the road walking into the ponds we found a perched BARRED OWL (out in plain sight), WARBLING, CASSIN'S and RED-EYED VIREOs, SONG SPARROW, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERs, PILEATED WOODPECKER (a rapid flythrough), SWAINSON'S THRUSH, AMERICAN ROBIN, and WINTER WREN.



About ? of a mile east on SR20 we walked down the gated off access road. Along this road we finally picked up AMERICAN REDSTART (that we did not hear or see at the County Line ponds), RED-EYED and CASSIN'S VIREOS, AMERICAN REDSTART, DOWNY WOODPECKER, SWAINSON'S THRUSH, SPOTTED TOWHEE, WILLOW FLYCATCHER (actually across SR 20). We made a quick stop at the North Cascades Park Interpretive Center and saw STELLER'S JAYs and BLACK SWIFTs overhead in bright blue skies.



At the Ross Dam overlook we had several YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERs and EVENING GROSBEAKs.



We stopped at the Rainy Pass picnic area for lunch and added some more birds to our day. These included WINTER WREN, CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, PINE SISKIN, VARIED THRUSH, WESTERN TANAGER, SWAINSON'S and HERMIT THRUSHes, GOLDEN CROWNED KINGLET and a distant probable SOOTY GROUSE.



At Washington Pass we found that the road into the overlook area was open. We began a watch on the nest tree and shortly got nice looks at AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER - both male and female making visits to the nest, but not carrying food. A young CLARK'S NUTCRACKER came in and perched, but didn't quite know what to do to beg food. A couple of GRAY JAYs, including at least one young bird, hung out. Out by the entrance gate we had DARK-EYED JUNCO and SAVANNAH SPARROW down in the meadow.



As we progressed down toward the Methow Valley the day warmed up, but was not uncomfortable. We drove in to the Klipchuck Campground. We parked and as soon as we were out of the cars we had a CASSIN'S VIREO carrying food. It went to a nest that was in plain sight about three feet off the ground in a small Ponderosa Pine. There were three young eagerly begging for food. We also had PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER at a nest with young. In the area we saw EVENING GROSBEAK, PINE SISKIN, WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER, TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, HERMIT THRUSH, BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD, WESTERN-WOOD PEWEE (the first of many over the next three days), TURKEY VULTURE, and MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER.



At the Big Valley area we saw an occupied OSPREY nest near the road and had a second Osprey perched on a snag with a fish.



Following a tip from George Gerdt's we made our way past Pearrygin Lake, on our way to Campbell Lake, picking up PIED-BILLED GREBE, COMMON GOLDENEYE (on a pond along the way), COMMON RAVEN, WESTERN MEADOWLARK, EASTERN KINGBIRD, LEWIS'S WOODPECKER (flyover), LAZULI BUNTING, WESTERN KINGBIRD, and MOURNING DOVE.



At Campbell Lake we found NORTHERN HARRIER, AMERICAN COOT, PIED-BILLED GREBE, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, MALLARD, VIRGINIA RAIL, RUDDY DUCK, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH, WHITE-THROATED SWIFT, HOUSE WREN, and BULLOCK'S ORIOLE.



We checked into our motel and made a trip to Hank's Market in Twisp (great deli) for lunch for the following day. Later that evening we had COMMON NIGHTHAWK overhead, and then up by Patterson Lake calling COMMON POORWILLs.



Good Birding



Brian H. Bell

Woodinville WA

mail to bell asoc at iso media dot com