Subject: [Tweeters] Going Home West #2 WOS Conference Field Trip
Date: Jun 15 09:32:49 2010
From: Eugene and Nancy Hunn - enhunn323 at comcast.net


Tweets,



It was a fine conference and very birdy.



A bunch of us caravanned home to the west side via the North Cascades
Highway yesterday, Monday, June 14.



We had extraordinary woodpecker luck.



We followed a hot tip from Teri Pieper about a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER nest
in a recent burn just east of Loup Loup and after some floundering around
managed to locate it and had great close looks at a male Black-backed. The
location is between 5.9 and 6.0 miles east of the Loup Loup campground
junction at Loup Loup Pass on N. Cook Mtn. Rd. Turn south off Highway 20,
then immediately take the left fork for about 0.2 miles where there has been
(and may still be) a salvage logging operation in the burn. Climb 100 yards
up from the road and listen.



At Loup Loup campground were the usual cooperative WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKERS.



In downtown Winthrop there were several LEWIS'S WOODPECKERS, the only ones
we could find along the Methow River.



Finally, thanks to a detailed sketch map by George Gerdts, in the still
snow-bound picnic area at Washington Pass we found a pair of AMERICAN
THREE-TOED WOODPECKERS excavating a nest and ridiculously tame. Also, at
Washington Pass were at least two female PINE GROSBEAKS.



An odd find, though likely not unprecedented, were ten perfect-plumaged
GREATER SCAUP with two alternate plumaged HORNED GREBES on the Columbia
River near Orondo (Douglas County). Some years ago I was pretty sure (but
not quite 100%) of a brood of Greater Scaup near Molson. Perhaps they may be
nesting in the state, despite the range maps.



Another highlight of the convention for me was my close encounter with a
WESTERN RATTLESNAKE that I almost stepped on on our Saturday night owling
jaunt up the Colockum Pass Road. No, that buzzing sound was not an owl! But
the WESTERN SCREECH-OWL surely was.



Join the chorus of thank yous to Scott Downes, Dan Stephens, and Cindy
McCormack for their dedicated organizing efforts and to all the field trip
leaders and enthusiastic participants.



Gene Hunn

Lake Forest Park, WA

enhunn323 at comcast.net