As a follow up to Michael Fleming's post on Wenas, George Gerdts and I just
returned from there.



The road into the campground is easily passable, despite the beaver's idea
of land/water management. The beavers have built a small dam that diverts
water onto the road so that they can flood the opposite side for future
logging operations.



The White-headed Woodpecker seen by Michael may have been the same one we
saw. It was a male working a Ponderosa Pine in the campground, about 20
feet from the road in, and about three feet off the ground. He made for a
great viewing, but next weekend may alter his plans. George and I continued
on the road up the hill and camped out up there last night. I had two
additional White-headed Woodpeckers this morning up there. It was a cold
night-after a three hour soaker light rain, the temperature dropped below
freezing.

The flowers took it hard this morning, as did the Calliope Hummingbird.



In the campground last evening I tooted for a NORTHERN PYGMY OWL, and had
one respond after four toots. So, those of you that include a NOPO tooting
in your phishing repertoire might want to hold back, otherwise this guy is
going to get a major workout next weekend.



Other owls I heard included a WESTERN SCREECH-OWL that woke me up calling
spontaneously from the west. I went off in pursuit of this bird at 11 PM,
only to discover that his call carried for at least 3/8 of a mile. I had
originally thought he was in the first ravine to the south of us, but after
crossing a barb wire fence in the dark, discovered that it was calling from
the next ravine over, probably by the branch of the creek that joins up near
the bridge at the entrance to the main campground. I broke off my pursuit
after a quarter mile. I also had at least two FLAMMULATED OWLS calling
somewhat distantly to the SW, but I did not pursue them. (I was cold and
wet.).



GRAY FLYCATCHERS were everywhere. There was a strong movement of TOWNSEND'S
SOLITAIREs through the area. We must have counted over a dozen of them. We
had a RUFFED GROUSE drumming this morning, and I heard a SOOTY GROUSE
hooting last evening. Prominently missing were Cedar Waxwings.



The YELLOW BREASTED CHAT was at the historical location at Hardy Canyon.



On the way out, we had three LEWIS'S WOODPECKERs on Umtanum Road.





J. Acker

Bainbridge Island, WA

<mailto:Owler at sounddsl.com> Owler at sounddsl.com



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Be heard!