Hi hi -
Here are some highlights from a fun 3 days of birding in Pend
Oreille, Stevens , Ferry & a little bit of Spokane County this
weekend. To make it easier to follow, I'll organize by county rather
than day:
Ferry Co:
Water levels are still high in Ferry Co., so I couldn't find any
visible shorebird gathering spots -- maybe in a few weeks?

Spruce Grouse - female & 3 chicks - Albian Hill Rd., about 7.5 miles
north from SR20.(7/15)
Northern Goshawk - adult and sounds of a nest nearby - another couple
miles up the road from the Spruce Grouse.(7/15 )
Northern Waterthrush - at the bridge off SR 21, at 30 mile creek (7/15)
Brewer's Sparrow - at the overlook above Keller Ferry - a tough bird
in Ferry Co., it seems (7/17)
Lark Sparrows - several , singing around the same overlook - I don't
think they've been there earlier this summer (7/17)

I spent a good afternoon birding Albian Hill Rd further than ever
before-- turns out you can drive on decent roads all the way north
about 30 miles until connecting with Boundary Creek Rd -- the road
between Curlew & Barstow. Nice route, with plenty of diverse habitat.


Stevens Co:

Solitary Sandpiper - Valley Highway, se of Colville [7/17]
Least Sandpiper - Valley Highway, se of Colville [7/17]
Wilson's Phalaropes - looked like young ones at Betteridge, but I'm
not certain [7/17]
Long-billed Dowitcher - about 6 at the Betteridge Rd ponds [7/17]
Black Terns - good looks at several on Betteridge Rd. outside Valley [7/17]
Clay-colored Sparrow - 2 singing NE of Barstow, just south of the
corner of McNitt & Beardslee [7/15]-- originally reported on ebird by
Andy Stepniewski, and right where he 'promised'. That area of brushy
open hillsides there looks great for all sorts of possibilties.


Pend Oreille Co:
The road to Bunchgrass Meadows is closed - not sure for how long, but
at present you can only get up the road about 4 miles.
Snow is mostly gone from Mt. Salmo now- road was clear to the top,
with only the walk up to the observation tower requiring some
snow-walking

Least Sandpiper - along LeClerc Rd, south of Usk - nice flooded
fields there look ready for more shorebirds [7/16]
Black Tern - Calispell Lake, south end
White-throated Swift - above Metalline Falls, as previously reported
by Ken Knittle [7/16]
Black-backed Woodpecker - Geophyical roads - [Usk to LeClerc to
Indian Creek Rd], at least 2, drumming away around trail 400.
LEAST FLYCATCHER - riparian area just south of the south end of
Sullivan Lake [across the road from Noisy Creek CG] [7/16]
Say's Phoebe, Western Bluebird, Vesper Sparrow - Kirkpatrick & Allen
Rd., south end of PO County [7/16]
Boreal Chickadee - Mt. Salmo [7/16]- nice flock came in to my
Pygmy-Owl ipoding - close looks. Location was right around the start
of the spur road up to the observation tower.
American Redstart - Calispell Lake, south end [heard a Northern
Waterthrush there but could't entice it to come out]
Bobolink - Kircher Rd, north of Cusick [7/16]
Pine Grosbeak - about a half dozen joined the Boreal Chickadess [7/16]

also, had a close encounter with a Mountain Lion just above Gypsy
Meadows - it stared for a while and was closer to my car than me, but
in the end didn't seem interested in sticking around....


Spokane Co:
Solitary Sandpiper - 2 at Turnbull in the first pond along the trail
from the entrance restrooms. This pond has been recently drained and
has great mud - in one scope view I had a nice look at - young Black
Tern, Solitary Sandpiper & Wilson's Snipe all standing together.
Least Sandpiper - one at the same pond.
Least Flycatcher - present as previously reported, in 2 spots at
Turnbull NWR [7/17] - one on the trail out from the visitors center,
past the ponds and in the decidious just before the ponderosa's
begin, one out along the entrance road, near a shark turn, in a thick
grove of trees.
Clay-colored Sparrow - present as previoulsy reported in 2 spots west
of Medical Lake.[7/17] Chase Rd., east of Ladd [also present at that
stop were 2 Great Horned Owlets, Vesper,Brewer's & Grasshopper
Sparrows], 2nd spot on Stroup north of Hallett, in between 2
90-degree turns in the road.

Great weather, great birds - a very fun outing - Feel free to ask if
any better directions are desired.

Matt Bartels
Seattle, WA