I have been visiting this site for a while now but this is my first post. I
am writing in response to Blair Bernson?s attempt to locate the Wenatchee
Harris?s Sparrow. The Confluence SP Harris?s Sparrow can be found by doing the
following:
As you drive down the road to the park turn to the right and park. Follow
the sidewalk east over the bridge across the Wenatchee River. Shortly after you
cross the bridge turn left and walk down the gravel trail towards the Columbia
River. After about 100 yards you will come to a bathroom at a fork in the trail.
About 100 feet to the right of the bathroom is a feeding station. The Harris?s
was there Sunday. Between 9 and 10 I saw him come and go 5 or 6 times. If anyone
has any further questions don?t hesitate to call me.
Saturday my wife and I went to the Soap Lake area to look for the
Gyrfalcon. As we drove up Road B we saw a large falcon fly by. He quickly
disappeared from sight. After a couple of hours of searching without any luck it
began to snow and grow darker by the minute so we decided to head for home. As
we drove down Road A about 5 miles east of Soap Lake we saw the Gyrfalcon
chasing a Kestrel low to the ground. As we stopped both birds flew close
overhead. I thought the Kestrel was on the menu but that was not the case. They
took turns dive bombing each other in what I would call a playful manner. The
Gyrfalcon flew horizontal several times hovered for about 10 seconds, dropped
down and repeated it again. The Kestrel had several opportunities to take off
but did not. They continued this interaction for about 5 minutes before both
birds departed. A short distance down the road the Kestrel was perched on a wire
and the Gyrfalcon on a pole a couple hundred feet away. Ken HemberryLeavenworth, WA509-264-7033

Ken Hemberry
Leavenworth, WA
509-264-7033