Hi Tweets & INWBers -
I spent most of the long weekend in Okanogan County and had a great time

Saturday, I stopped in a few Grant & Douglas Co
spots en route to Okanogan. Most notable were
several ponds along SR 17 between Grand Coulee &
Bridgeport, with both Wilson's and Red-necked
Phalaropes, Blue-winged & Cinnamon Teal, and
other dabblers.

For Okanogan, mostly my strategy was to work the
area between Bridgeport & Okanogan and to the
east - up & down Cameron Lake Rd and a couple of
the side routes - turned out that repeated visits
was a good plan. On Saturday, beginning around
3:00pm I worked my way north along Cameron Lake
Rd getting the lay of the land. Sunday I
reversed course, heading south from Okanogan
along the same route. Then I headed east via
Timentwa Rd to the Goose Lake area, working my
way north past Omak Lake. Back down at the south
end of the county, I birded the Soap Lakes area
before one more run north along Cameron Lake Rd.
Monday, I headed north and west mostly, starting
out by Conconully and moving up around Loomis,
then over to Oroville. I finished my time in the
county up at Beth & Beaver lakes, north of
Wauconda. The Opperman guide was very helpful for
most of these locations [except Goose Lake, I
think].

Rather than a more detailed narrative that would
consist of going north or south on the same
roads, here's a list of notable sightings by
species:

o EURASIAN WIGEON - one adult male in the
'3 ponds' off Cameron Lake Rd 5/29

o Blue-winged Teal - a few popped up, but
outnumbered by the Cinnamon Teal by far.

o [All the dabblers from winter were around in at least small numbers.]

o BLACK SCOTER - pair at Soap Lakes 5/29

o Common & Barrow's Goldeneyes - a few pairs here and there

o Common Loon - only one seen, at Beth Lake

o Red-necked Grebe - Spectacle Lake & Soap Lake

o Golden Eagles - 2 sticking close to
cliffs [nest?] above Toats-Coulee Rd, about a
mile from Loomis-Oroville Rd.

o Swainson's Hawk - one, north of Goose Lake on 5/29

o Sora - Cameron Lake Rd ponds

o Virginia Rail - Goose Lake

o American Avocet - Cameron Lake Rd
roadside ponds - only found it on the 3rd time up
& down the road

o Spotted Sandpiper - many places, but Beth
& Beaver Lake were notable for the crowds of
Spotties all over the place , both along the
shore but also up in the campsite - bobbing away
on fire pit burnt logs &
sign posts & parking barriers?. Everywhere?.

o Long-billed Curlew - one on Soap Lake Rd, one on Toats-Coulee Rd.

o Wilson's Phalarope - many places along
Cameron Lake Rd., some up on the shore perhaps
nesting

o Red-necked Phalaropes - many scattered
around Cameron Lake Rd ponds , especially on
those '3 small ponds'

o Black Tern - The only spot I saw them was
at Beaver Lake, where a couple pairs were around.

o Common Poorwill - at dusk 5/30 along
Buzzard Lake Rd up towards Loup Loup [west of
Okanogan] (did not come across Common Nighthawks
yet anywhere over the weekend)

o Lewis's Woodpeckers - Toats-Coulee Rd had
several, as did Loomis-Oroville Rd.

o White-headed Woodpecker - along the
ponderosa pine stretch of Cameron Lake Rd.

o Willow Flycatcher - only heard one, up at
Conner's Lake - never did entice it to come in
for a view so I have yet to see one this year?.

o LEAST FLYCATCHER - 3.9 miles south of the
north entrance to Cameron Lake Rd. - I first
found it in the morning on 5/29, but it was still
there late in the day, chebekking away - perhaps
will be a reliable stake
out this summer.

o Gray Flycatcher - all along the ponderosa
pine segment of Cameron Lake Rd.

o Great to have what seemed like saturation
levels of Western & Eastern Kingbirds back in the
righ habitats.

o Loggerhead Shrike -only one, on the
southern portion of Cameron Lake Rd. in the sage
(another bird I only found on my 3rd run through
that route).

o Rock & Canyon Wren - found them in the
cliffs along the east side of Goose Lake,
southeast end I guess. Later heard Rock Wren in
several other spots.

o BEWICK'S WREN - One at the viewing
platform for the Driscoll Island Wildlife Area, a
little over 2 miles south of Oroville, at the
north end of Gavin Rd.

o Veery - only heard a few, and didn't see
them - first heard along Buzzard Lake Rd. on
5/29, more heard along the edge of Fish Lake near
Loomis. Meanwhile the Gray Catbirds were back in
force.

o Sage Thrashers - I had several in one of
the more mature patches of sage along Cameron
Lake Rd - more towards the center of the route,
not on either the northern or southern slopes
where the sage looks
more degraded.

o Brewer's, Lark, Vespers & Grasshopper
Sparrows were all present along Cameron Lake Rd.
I couldn't pull out a Sage Sparrow though.

o Bobolink - Toats-Coulee Rd, the first
mile off of Loomis-Oroville Rd - decent numbers
in the wheatfield


"On the way" back to Seattle on Monday, I made a
swing through Ferry county, mostly to bird the
Swawilla Basin down in the southwest corner.
Between rain showers, I was happy to find
Grasshopper Sparrow, Lark Sparrows, Vesper
Sparrow, Horned Lark, and Chukar.

More specific locations available if interested -- just ask

Matt Bartels
Seattle WA