Tweeters:

Hope your spring has been filled with nice weather and good birds. For the past couple of weeks, I have been out and about in my usual haunts in Okanogan County and found some fun birds!! It is always very magical up there!


Here are a few highlights from mid-April to present.

Solitary Sandpiper- a cooperative bird along Beth Lake (4/19)

Swainson's Hawks-Okanogan Highlands
Great Gray Owl -several birds near Sno-Park and surrounding areas
Saw-Whet Owl-several calling birds at dusk near Sno-Park
Short eared Owl-Havillah area near Church
Dusky Grouse-many displaying males near Molson including an aggressive one near Sno-Park
Gray Partridges-flushed several pairs in Mansfield and Cameron Lake Rd
Chukar-around Scotch Creek Area
Long billed Curlew-Cameron Lake Rd
Sage Thrashers-Cameron Lake Rd
Grasshopper Sparrows-a couple singing, Cameron Lake Rd
Loggerhead Shrikes-a few birds along Cameron Lake Rd
Sandhill Crane-a huge flock of 2000 plus birds in mid April along Cameron Lake Rd
American Three Toe Woodpecker-several in Sno-Park area
Black backed Woodpecker-a pair around Sno-Park and several birds in new burn North of Goldendale along Hwy 97 since February.
Williamson's Sapsuckers-many drumming and calling around Sno-Park
White headed Woodpecker-Conconully and Cameron Lake Rd
Snow Buntings-a few late lingerers along Cameron Lake Rd

Always lovely to hear singing Western Meadowlark, Vesper Sparrows, Mountain Bluebirds, and see breeding plumage Common Loons, Cinnamon Teal, Ruddy Ducks, and Barrow Goldeneyes. What a nice mixture of colors and sounds and you got to love spring and sun!

On a side note: This past weekend, I was very ecstatic to find a new subspecies of MOUNTAIN QUAIL near the Manning area in Washington County, Oregon. The size, plume, color, and piercing, sonic 'quee-ark" call is quite different! But what a fancy, beautiful quail, indeed!!

I would be a bit nervous, if I saw a convey of them running towards me!


Here are some recent photos:


https://www.flickr.com/photos/23662496 at N02/


Good birding with Peace and Love,


Khanh Tran


ktbirding.com