Hi Tweeters:?
An odd, but successful, birding day in the Okanogan Highlands. ?Very slow in terms of passerine birds but the quality was great! ?Patience and a lot of effort was needed today to find these nomadic, wintering specialities but it was an exciting way to start my FOY list:) ?Did not see any crossbills, siskins, goldfinches, nuthatches, or many chickadees; a couple of Gray Jays and Clark's Nutcracker, but otherwise devoid of many of the common species. ?This was what I experienced around Thanksgiving, as well. ?
1 Northern Goshawk- a skittish adult along Davies Rd2 Short eared Owl-Chesaw and Havillah Rd4 Northern Pygmy Owl-several birds near Sno-Park, Mary Ann Creek Rd, and Sitzmark Ski area?1 Long eared Owl-Fletcher Rd3 Great Horned Owl-several birds at dusk en route down to Tonasket1 Northern Saw-Whet Owl-Mary Ann Creek Rd22 Gray Partridge-several conveys along Mary Ann Creek Rd and Havillah Church3 Ruffed Grouse-Hungry Hollow Rd1 American Three Toe Woodpecker-Sno Park300-350 Snow Buntings-two separate flocks along Havillah and Hungry Hollow Rd30 Bohemian Waxwings-small flock Nealey Rd8 Pine Grosbeaks-Grange RdCommon Redpoll-small flock Mary Ann Rd35 Gray Crowned Rosy-finches-Nealy Rd feeder?
Happy New Year and with peace, love, and good birding.?
Khanh Tran?www.ktbirding.com? ?