Tweeters,



We began at Walla Walla Point Park in Wenatchee searching for the
YELLOW-BILLED LOON, reported there for some weeks. We moved to Confluence
Park for another view and had good looks at our target loon from there. Our
hour there produced a nice list, including a "whistling" EURASIAN WIGEON, a
species we seldom hear. We saw a total of 11 waterfowl, with Hooded
Merganser and Barrow's Goldeneye being on the list.



Then we headed north to Chelan and steeply up Union Valley Road north of
town hoping to find the hawk owl reported since the Chelan CBC. We arrived
in early afternoon with bright sunshine and no owl so headed farther along
Union Valley Road to bird the area before returning in lower light. The
Ponderosa Pine forest there yielded some birds characteristic of that
habitaat: Hairy Woodpecker, Mountain Chickadee, all three nuthatches, and
Red Crossbill. A Golden Eagle sailed over us near the escarpment overlooking
the Columbia River 2000 feet in elevation below. Soon, clouds thickened and
it became noticeably darker, our signal to return to the owl site. My
experience with Northern Hawk Owl is that it is usually easier to find in
cloudy weather or low light. Soon we were rewarded with a NORTHERN HAWK OWL
actively hunting the Ponderosa Pine/Bitterbrush openings at Milepost 4.3.
Ellen snapped a photo of the owl from the road; later study revealed the owl
had a vole in its talons after it dipped to the ground. It was "probably
Microtus montanus on account of its grey coloration and habitat," according
to Canadian scientist and field naturalist Dick Cannings who examined the
photo.



Late afternoon found us on the Waterville Plateau. Only a skiff of snow was
good news for raptors but not so good for seeing some winter birds such as
Snow Buntings. To be sure there were lots of Rough-legged Hawks and a
Northern Shrike or two. We did get a SNOWY OWLS near the south end of St.
Andrews Road in almost barren wheatland. Wow, what a beautiful bird, it's
outline edged against the Cascades off to the west!

Andy and Ellen Stepniewski
Wapato WA
steppie at nwinfo.net