Subject: [Tweeters] Stevens County Snowy Owl
Date: Dec 8 15:12:05 2011
From: Gina Sheridan - gsherida8502 at yahoo.com


Following up on yesterday's report of a Snowy Owl near Colville, Garrett MacDonald and I decided to have a go at it today??(Thursday, 12/8/11). Temps ranged from the upper teens to upper twenties with patchy freezing fog. Fortunately, the Colville area was pleasantly sunny. ? Initially, we?diligently surveyed the fields on both sides of Mantz-Rickey Road, but we only turned up the expected raptors (i.e. Rough-legged & Red-tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle, No. Raven). ?Realizing that the snowy owl must have moved from its original position, we expanded our search radius. ?

From the intersection of Mantz-Rickey Road and Valley Westside Road, we proceeded north toward Oakshot Road. ?About one kilometer from the intersection, there is a large barn downslope from the higher vantage point on the road. Approximately hundred meters north of the barn there was is a large haystack. On the haystack, was a roosting SNOWY OWL! We were extremely pleased to see this beautiful arctic visitor.

After communing with the Snowy Owl, we headed up to Deep Lake. En route, we saw a PILEATED WOODPECKER. As we approached the north end of Deep Lake, we noted two very large white birds resting on the frozen surface of the lake. In this case, the birds in question were the pair of TRUMPETER SWANs that have been present on the lake for the last couple of weeks.

All in all, it was great morning!

Gina Sheridan
Spokane, WA