Subject: [Tweeters] Northeast Washington6-7 October
Date: Oct 10 22:24:48 2012
From: Andy Stepniewski - steppie at nwinfo.net


NORTHEAST WASHINGTON FOR SPRUCE GROUSE AND ABERCROMBIE MOUNTAIN HIKE- 6-7
OCTOBER



Saturday, we began with a short stop at the Cusick Wetlands, where ducks in
the channel off the highway provided a respite from driving. We saw:
Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck,
Barrow's Goldeneye, and Hooded Merganser.



Heading up the Tacoma Creek Road, we turned off onto FR-2615 to search for
Spruce Grouse. Luck was with us and we had two birds right on the road a
couple miles up. Both birds seemed skittish for this species, flushing at
quite a distance. I wondered if the time, late afternoon, was the reason for
their wariness. Whatever the cause for this behavior, a healthy fear of
two-legged creatures would seem to be an advantageous trait for this "Fool
Hen" to acquire. We also noted a Ruffed Grouse along this road and heard
Barred Owl a Varied Thrushes as the shadows lengthened. We were pleased to
encounter a couple bull Moose in this area, a species on the increase in
northeastern Washington. Watching these behemoths lumbering along the road
is one impressive sight!



Sunday morning at dawn we headed north from Colville on Aladdin Road to hike
up Abercrombie Mountain. Along this road we stopped a few times, targeting
Great Gray Owl at the forested edges of the numerous pastures. No owls but
we did spot turkeys and a few other birds. At one stop, near the Smackout
Pass Road, we heard a tremendous commotion of dogs coming from the forest,
or.were they wolves? We saw no sign of humankind as if these animals might
be dogs in kennels. These beasts, we both agreed, were not Coyotes.


Abercrombie Mountain was a great hike! We spent much of the day on this
marvelous mountain. It features two very different habitats. The first 1.5
mile ascends an old logging track, now quite grown over to dense alders and
hemlock, spruce, and fir of modest stature. In this dark and cold forest we
saw or heard one Spruce Grouse, Hairy and Pileated Woodpeckers, Gray Jay,
Black-capped and Chestnut-backed Chickadees, small parties of Golden-crowned
Kinglets , a couple Varied Thrushes, and scattered juncos. The overall
aspect of this forest was that winter had set in on these dark and virtually
sunless slopes. Indeed, frost persisted all day on the trail.



Cresting the ridgeline some 800 feet in elevation above, we angled up the
south slopes of upper Abercrombie Mountain. Here the sun shone warmly;
insects such as gnats, butterflies, and dragonflies were flying. We noted
lots of bird activity. This was the third instance this fall where we have
observed a Northern Pygmy-Owl at midday at high elevations. I'd think these
little gnomes have learned there are many songbirds migrating south in the
more open habitats at the treeline ecotone and station themselves to
intercept these throngs.



Dusky Grouse was a bird I wanted to see. Ellen flushed one along the trail,
but I blinked and missed it, actually the third time this has happened this
fall!




Southwest winds at summit likely suppressed raptor movement. We searched the
skies repeatedly for raptors but noted only one Rough-legged Hawk.



The day was very warm for early October (low 50s up top), perhaps explaining
our good tally of Violet-green Swallows (80 noted from 11:30 am to 2 pm)
over open terrain.

We also admired 15 or so Mountain Bluebirds fly catching from the silver
snags on Abercrombie's upper slopes. Other thrushes on the upper slopes
included Townsend's Solitaire, Hermit Thrush, and a good number of American
Robins, 60 or so.



The choice bird atop the summit was a lone Lapland Longspur. It was a young
or winter- plumaged bird and we heard it utter both its "tew" and rattle
calls. It was on the summit in habitat of scree, dwarf shrubs, and grasses.



Noteworthy was a dearth of finches on this trek. We noted only Pine Siskins.

Other birds we tallied on these open slopes included: Steller's Jay, Common
Raven, Mountain Chickadee, Brown Creeper, American Pipit, Yellow-rumped
Warbler, White-crowned Sparrow, and Dark-eyed Junco.



The view from the summit was certainly memorable, too. Forest fire smoke
here was much less than to the west in the Cascades., so our vista extended
north to the towering granite peaks in Kokanee Mountain Provincial Park in
British Columbia, west to Mt. Bonaparte in the Okanogan, and east to peaks
above Priest Lake in Idaho.



Andy and Ellen Stepniewski

Wapato WA

steppie at nwinfo.net