Subject: [Tweeters] a few north-central WA birds (and mammals)
Date: Oct 13 14:06:36 2015
From: Dennis Paulson - dennispaulson at comcast.net


Hello, tweets.

Netta Smith and I saw about 150 Sandhill Cranes in flocks ranging from 3-30 birds all along Cameron Lake Road in Okanogan County on 12 October. They are feeding in the fields that have been harvested for wheat, and a few of them were even dancing. Also one Rough-legged Hawk on that road, first I?ve seen this fall, and another south of Leahy on hwy 17 in Douglas County.

Great Egret at Lenore Lake. 43 Long-billed Dowitchers at the south end of Soap Lake.

Also flock of 50 Wild Turkeys on Pine Creek Road, NW of Riverside, Okanogan County, on 11 October. The most turkeys I have seen in a flock in Washington.

Also, the most deer (all Mule) I have ever seen in WA were along that road and on the Oroville-Loomis Road (also a few White-tailed there) earlier in the afternoon. Many of them were in people?s yards, right around houses. I suspect with the drought they are having trouble finding food in the ?wild? areas (we saw only two on our drive through the Sinlahekin, usually a great place for deer), so they are moving to the farm fields and suburbs. One big field of bright green grass on Pine Creek Road had 63 Mule Deer grazing near dusk. They were also feeding on the hay in big rolled-up hay piles. Only a few of the 100+ we saw were males with antlers.
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Dennis Paulson
Seattle