Subject: [Tweeters] E WA Shrikeapalooza
Date: Oct 25 16:03:39 2010
From: Jim Flynn - merlinmania at comcast.net




Hi Tweets,



Just a quick update on a shoulder season trip to the Okanogan. The most notable trend to me were the good numbers of Golden Eagles and Northern Shrikes; perhaps they are still migrating in and through the state - certainly I've never seen quite this many of either species during? many winter trips to these same areas.



The Golden Eagles were all in Okanogan County:



10/23 (Sat.)

1 in Conconully

5 (Five!) together on Mud Lake/Pine Creek Road. Several of these birds were displaying, performing their "roller coaster" displays.

1 at Spectacle Lake

2 at Toats Coulee Rd and Loomis-Oroville Rd

2 at Palmer Lake



10/24 (Sun.)

1 between Omak Lake and Nespelem





Northern Shrikes were widespread also:



10/22 (Fri.)

1 approx. a mile east of Jameson Lake (Doug. County)



10/23 (Sat.)

1 at Green Lake, between Omak and Conconully

1 on Conconully Road, 4 miles south of town

1 south of Whitestone Lake

2 just north of Toats Coulee Road



10/24 (Sun.)

1 on Omak Lake Rd, about 3 miles SE of Omak.

1 on Cold Springs Rd, near Goose Lake

1 at Alkali Lake, three miles south of Goose Lake

1 at Dry Falls Visitor Center, Grant Co.



There were quite a few other rewards for our trip although the summer birds were long gone and many of the?winter birds were?not showing in any numbers yet. The sunshine (although fleeting at times) and the scenery were great as always.



Here are the other noteables:

10/23/10

1 Slate-colored Junco (Salmon Creek Road)

1 Harlan's Hawk, dark adult (Ellisforde bridge)

1 Merlin (just west of Oroville)

1 Snow Goose (w/ Canadas at Lk. Osoyoos St. Pk.)

5 Great Horned Owls between Havillah and Tonasket



10/24/10

5 Western Bluebirds?about six miles from Omak on Omak Lk. Rd

13 GRAY PARTRIDGE?at Cold Springs Rd & Greenaway Rd

3?BEWICK'S WRENS (1 in a brushy slope along?Columbia River Rd (near the Fish Farm) and 2 in riparian growth on same road, S. of Nespelem)

1 Eur. Collared Dove at Nespelem

1 Great Egret at the north end of Banks Lake.

1 Eur. Collared Dove just north of I-90 on SR 283 near George





Good birding,



Jim Flynn
Seattle, WA