Tweeters,
I made a 2 day trip to Ferry and Okanogan Counties via Wilson Creek this
weekend. Wilson Creek was great on Saturday, with several TRICOLORED
BLACKBIRD (lifer), as well as AMERICAN AVOCET, BLACK-NECKED STILT, RUDDY
DUCKS and many WHITE PELICANS.

The drive through Sun Lakes area on Hwy 17 was absolutely beautiful in the
sunshine. Kinda like the Grand Canyon crossed with a botanical garden. I
met up with Guy McWethy near Grand Coulee and we headed out to the Swawilla
Basin to do some Ferry County Birding.

Interesting birds in Ferry County started with a LEWIS'S WOODPECKER in
Swawilla. In the drier areas we found a LARK SPARROW and Guy also found a
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW which was a lifer for me. Near the water we had LAZULI
BUNTING, BULLOCK'S ORIOLE and NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW. On the East
side of the Swawilla Loop we had CASSIN'S VIREO and CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD as
well.

We headed up to the West Fork of the Sanpoil river hoping for Northern
Waterthrush but were unsuccessful. We did get GRAY CATBIRD and VEERY on
both sides of the county line as well as several warblers and flycatchers.

In Havillah we spent much of the night and morning looking for Great Gray
Owl to no avail. We did find at least a dozen GREAT HORNED owls, many of
them loudly begging juveniles. And in the morning I was awoken by
WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKERS among other birds.

On Saturday morning Guy headed back out to Ferry County and I headed West.
On the way down toward Tonasket I added some WESTERN BLUEBIRDS to the many
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS we had seen up there. Further down the road was a
cooperative SWAINSON'S HAWK on a telephone pole. And then down in the
farmland I was able to find six BOBOLINK when they briefly rose out of the
grass and flew a short ways before settling back down into the grass again.

I took Fish Lake Road to Conconully which was another beautiful drive along
many mountain lakes. The birding continued to be good, but the butterflies
where just as interesting. I was forced to stop many times to take pictures
which put me a bit behind schedule but it was worth it.

>From Conconully, the road to Salmon Meadows was closed. I tried the back
route to Tiffany Springs instead, but the birding wasn't great because it's
all burn area. So I didn't get a chance to look for Spruce Grouse or Boreal
Chickadee, however, I got a great view of a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER and
added CLARK'S NUTCRACKER and CASSIN'S FINCH.

Overall it was a beautiful weekend and I think I got an even 100 species. I
ran into a lot of other very friendly birders including some from both
Seattle Audubon and Skagit Audubon (can't remember all the names). Thanks
to Evan Houston, Matt Bartels, Dave Haydon and of course Guy McWethy for
help with the planning. I've put some of the pictures on my Picasa site.

https://picasaweb.google.com/randybjo/PicturesForSharing#

Enjoy the beautiful weather!

Randy Bjorklund
Federal Way, WA