Subject: [Tweeters] Kittitas/Chelan Co goodies this last weekend
Date: Jun 24 09:53:52 2013
From: Stefan Schlick - greenfant at hotmail.com


Mike Fleming and I were touring though Kittitas Co this last weekend, with a short detour down into Chelan Co mainly for White-headed Woodpecker.
We arrived at Robinson Canyon just before midnight Friday night. As we were setting up tents, a Yellow-breasted Chat was blasting off (so this was 11:58pm!). The expected Common Poorwill and Common Nighthawk were very active throughout the night.
Saturday morning we found 3 singing Black-throated Sparrows on Reservation Dr north of Vantage. Quilomene Wildlife Area yielded the expected Brewer's Sparrow, Sage Sparrow and Sage Thrasher. No Chukar, but quite a few Mountain Bluebirds along the Old Vantage Hwy.
Proceeding up Reecer Canyon Rd there were many Veeries in the lower part of the canyon. A little higher up an immature Northern Goshawk dive-bombed a perched Golden Eagle. We also found WIlliamson's Sapsucker up there. A Red-eyed Vireo and a few Veeries were at the public fishing access near 970 & 10 just east of Cle Elum.
We took FR9738 from Twentyone Pines CG at the end of the North Fork Teanaway Rd which funnels you into US97 near Mineral Springs Resort. The road is good and offers decent habitat for a lot of species. Uphill from Liberty at our secret Flam spot along 9705 we found 2-3 close Flammulated Owls. A Common Nighthawk was heard displaying up there as well.
The Leavenworth Fish Hatchery turned out to be a pretty good spot Sunday morning. We had also checked the Sleeping Lady Resort, but found the resort just too busy with people. 2 Black Swifts, a singing female Purple Finch, an American Dipper resting at the ladder and 3 White-headed Woodpeckers were the highlights at the hatchery. Another White-headed Woodpecker and several Pygmy Nuthatches were along Alpensee Strasse in Leavenworth (thanks, Bob). Finally, yet another bird was at Camas Prairie, along with several Red-naped and Williamson's Sapsuckers. We did not get the Least Flycatcher there. Thanks to all for all the detailed information for finding White-headed Woodpecker.
Then the rain started in the higher elevations and I-90 was a mess between Elk Heights and the rock blasting area at the show sheds near MP58. Avoid this area if you can. At the fish hatchery in Cle Elum (Spring Chinook Way off Charter Rd), we added another Red-eyed Vireo. Otherwise, the area was pretty quiet. The trip ended at Snowqualmie Falls where Mike almost immediately got on a Black Swift. There were 2 birds total there.
Stefan SchlickHillsboro, OR