Hi Tweets & INWBers -

I spent the weekend in the NE corner of WA, and found some decent shorebirds, especially in Stevens Co.
Highlights:
Stevens County:
Lake Roosevelt Rec Area [21 Aug] - there are nice sandbars at the mouth of the Colville River - a walk across some slightly muddy ground brought me to a flock of at least 30 BAIRD?S SANDPIPERS - mixed in w/ them were a few Western Sandpipers and a nice young STILT SANDPIPER - In a tree along Lake Roosevelt, a GREAT EGRET [code 5] was hanging out w/ several Great Blue Herons.

Colville STP - I finally was there on a weekday monday [22 Aug], and the shorebird collection was great - 12 species: SEMIPALMATED PLOVER [1], SEMI-SANDPIPER [2-3], Western, Least, Pectoral [~3], Baird?s [10+], Greater & Lesser Yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Wilson?s Snipe, & Killdeer - all offering great looks. Also had 3 Sora wandering around in the open.

Ferry County:
Sanpoil River Mouth [8/20] - not much, but a couple SOLITARY SANDPIPERS and a couple Spotties mixed in w/ Killdeer - lots of mud, there should be more?.

Inchelium Hwy, along Lake Roosevelt, at the Sandbars N of Barnaby Creek outlet [22 Aug] - 3 BONAPARTE?S GULLS [code 5]- 1 in crisp juvie plumage, 2 adults - they eventualy flew over into Stevens County [where they are only a code 4].

Pend Oreille County:
Not much luck w/ shorebirds [21 Aug]- there was a flock out at the Flying Goose Ranch, but they stuck to a sandbar too far north to get ids. And at the Pondoray Shores pond along Leclerc, a few Solitary Sandpipers were nice to find.

Yesterday, [22 Aug] I spent the morning up at Salmo Mountain - Boreal Cihckadees popped right out a bit downhill from the lookout turnoff - Best bird for me was a single bright WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL that flew in to playback, sang and called repeatedly from a perch above me for great looks. Also saw one Am. Three-toed Woodpecker and heard a likely couple more. And good numbers of OC Warblers, one Nashville and several Wilson?s, Townsend?s & Yellow-rumped Warblers.

Matt Bartels
Seattle, WA