Subject: [Tweeters] Gyrfalcon on Waterville Plateau, Mon Jan 7 (George
Date: Jan 13 17:55:03 2013
From: Liz Hemberry - lizhemberry at hotmail.com



Went up to the Waterville Plateau yesterday to look for some of the birds seen by Mary Ann and George. Saw the following birds of note:
Gray Partridge: On RD 8 NW about 2 miles east of Lamoine
Mixed Flock of Horned Larks, Snow Buntings, and Gray Crowned Rosy Finches on Rd F about a mile north of where it intersects with 8.
Relocated the Larks and Buntings later on RD 8 NW about a half mile west of Rd E
Gyrfalcon: SR 172 about a half mile south of where it intersects with 8.
Dipped on the Snowy Owls but did see a juvenile Golden Eagle at the top of the plateau just after it breaks over into McNeil Canyon.

Ken Hemberry
Leavenworth

To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
From: geopandion at aol.com
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2013 00:11:37 -0500
Subject: [Tweeters] Gyrfalcon on Waterville Plateau, Mon Jan 7 (George Gerdts)




Mary Anne Rossing and I (George Gerdts) spent
Sunday through Wednesday east of the Cascade crest. Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday
the weather was fine, with some fog and snow showers on Sunday. Tuesday (Jan
8), there was steady snow and accompanying fog all day. We managed to see a
number of the "sought-after" winter species and got a jump start on
our year lists.



Highlights:



Jan 7 (Monday)



Gyrfalcon- a gray morph, nearly adult (still
retaining a few brown scapular feathers), was seen on 8th NW (Sprauer Rd) where
it intersects F NW Rd. (Sprauer is the road to Lamoine off of SR 172.) The
falcon, sitting on a telephone pole, was eating a Gray Partridge when 2 Rough-Legged
Hawks began to harass it. It
relinquished its prey to the Rough-legs and then flew off, affording us great
close-up views.



Other birds, chronologically:



Jan 6 (Sun)



Wild Turkey, 22, along Teanaway Rd off SR
970, Cle Elum



Northern Goshawk, one flying over Wayne and
Jenny Gravell?s feeders on Badger Mtn



Common Redpoll, four at Gravell?s feeders



Jan 7 (Mon)



Gray Partridge, 12, Withrow, and 8, SR 172
south of Mansfield



Rough-legged Hawk, 20, widespread throughout
the plateau



Prairie Falcon, one adult, Bridgeport Bar



Snowy Owls, 2, Division Rd off SR 172 about 1
mi north towards Bridgeport. The two
owls tussled in the snow after one spotted the other and flew across ? mile of
snow-covered steppe.



Bohemian Waxwing, 40, Bridgeport Bar; 250,
downtown Chelan; 40, Pateros



Gray-crowned Rosy-finch, 12, briefly
alighting on SR 172 near Mansfield just before dusk



Jan 8 (Tues)



Chukar, 9 on the snow, calling, McNeil Canyon
at junction with 97A.



Cedar Waxwing, 27, in a pure flock, downtown
Chelan



Jan 9 (Wed)



Snow Bunting, 200, along F NW just north of 8
NW (Sprauer Rd)



Trumpeter (one) and Tundra (two) Swans, in
the Columbia River at Entiat



Northern Shrike, four, various locations on
the plateau



With 4 Kestrels and 3 Merlins in addition to the
Gyr and Prairie Falcons, we had a four-falcon day on Jan 7.



George Gerdts, Bainbridge Island, WA

Jan 9, 2013





_______________________________________________
Tweeters mailing list
Tweeters at u.washington.edu
http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters