This is a belated report of a full day of birding in Ferry County last Saturday (3/24/12). Jon?Isacoff?and I felt ourselves quite fortunate to have a good weather window that was cool but dry.?

Crossing over on Keller's Ferry, we initially worked the?Swawilla?Basin in the southwestern section of the county. In a mature stand of sagebrush, wepished?up a pair of AMERICAN TREE?SPARROWs. This was one of biggest county target birds for the day. Several flocks of MOUNTAIN?BLUEBIRDsbrightened up the scrub-steppe, and WESTERN?MEADOWLARDs?were chorusing from every direction. ?A couple of NORTHERN?SHRIKEs, a GOLDEN EAGLE, several SAY'S?PHOEBEs, and a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE were ?present as well.?

On the shore of Lake Roosevelt at?Swawilla?Basin Beach, there was a sizable flock of gulls that contained the expected RING-BILLED, CALIFORNIA, and HERRING?GULLs, and a handsome adult?THAYER'S?GULL. ?Waterfowl?ihere?included GREEN-WINGED TEAL, CANADA GEESE, LESSER?SCAUP, and MALLARD.

Later, as we were viewing COMMON & HOODED?MERGANSERs, HORNED GREBE, NORTHERN?PINTAIL, and BALD?EAGLEs?near the mouth of the San?Poil?River, we heard a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER drumming up in the?Ponderosa?Pines. ?Along Silver Creek Road, we ran across CLARK'S NUTCRACKER,?STELLER'S?JAY, PACIFIC WREN, and RED?CROSSBILL.

At Twin Lakes, we ran into a feeding flock of?WHITE-BREASTED, RED-BREASTED, and PYGMY?NUTHATCHes; DE JUNCO; DOWNY & HAIRYWOODPECKERs; BLACK-BACKED & MT.?CHICKADEEs. However, the lakes themselves were still solidly frozen over, and the?snowpack?around thelakeshore?was substantial.

North of West Kettle Falls on the Columbia River, we scoped through several flocks of ducks, and turned up our much hoped for EURASIAN WIGEON (a tough bird for Ferry County). In?Barstow, we saw VARIED THRUSH, SPOTTED TOWHEE, PINE?SISKIN, and had a fly over COMMON?REDPOLL.

Although we weren't?intentionally?trying for a Big Day, Jon and I ended up breaking the record with a tally of 61 species ?for our day in Ferry County. Mammals of the day included White-tailed Deer, Coyote, Yellow-Pine Chipmunk, and Yellow-bellied Marmot.?

Yours in Spokane,

Gina Sheridan
Spokane, WA