12 of us birded around Douglas and Okanogan Co from Thursday to Monday. Some of us came from Portland, some from Seattle. Here the highlights (also included are a bunch of birds en route):
1/24: Drive from Portland to Omak
Ferruginous Hawk (1 continuing bird in Dallesport, Klickitat Co)
Lewis's Woodpecker (2 birds only seen by some along 97, one in Klickitat, the other in Yakima Co)
Northern Pygmy-Owl (1 near Blewett Pass)
Eurasian Wigeon (2 continuing birds in wigeon flock at Walla Walla Point Park)
Merlin (1 at Walla Walla Point Park)
Barrow's Goldeneye (6 scoped from Walla Walla Point Park, but in Douglas Co)
Snowy Owl (stakeout near 1 Rd SE & Heritage/Woods Rd on the Waterville Plateau)
Snow Bunting (40+ along 172 east of Mansfield)
1/25: Okanogan Highlands
Snow Bunting (2 flocks of between 50 and 75 birds along Havillah Rd
Gray Partridge (4 on Hungry Hollow, 10 along Mary Ann Creek Rd, 6 along Havillah Rd just above Fancher Flats)
Golden Eagle (Bolster Rd)
Northern Goshawk (1 immature in Chesaw, 1 adult along Havillah Rd near Teas Rd)
Townsend's Solitaire (2 in Chesaw)
Northern Pygmy-Owl (1 along Mary Ann Creek Rd)
Ruffed Grouse (2 along Mary Ann Creek Rd)
Bohemian Waxwing (40 near Fields Lake)
Chukar (many at Fancher Flats)
1/26: Conconully, around the Columbia River)
Sharp-tailed Grouse (5 at Happy Hill Rd at Scotch Creek WA)
Long-eared Owl (1 somewhere near Conconully)
Bohemian Waxwing (6 in Conconully)
Cassin's Finch (a few in Conconully)
8 Trumpeter & 1 Tundra Swan (off 17 looking down towards Washburn Island)
Northern Sawwhet Owl (Bridgeport State Park)
American Tree Sparrow (10 at last homestead at north end of Cameron Lake Rd)
Long-tailed Duck (3 off Douglas Co 173 pullouts)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (10 at Washburn Island)
Northern Goshawk (1 adult at Washburn Island)
1/27: Cameron Lake Rd, Waterville Plateau
Pygmy Nuthatch (Cameron Lake Rd)
Snow Bunting (pure flock of about 50)
Gray Partridge (2 separate flocks of 10 and 15 along Timentwa Rd)
American Tree Sparrow (a few at last homestead at north end of Cameron Lake Rd, 30+ along Dyer Hill Rd near where the pavement starts, 20 at Long-eared Owl spot along Heritage Ln)
Golden Eagle (2 at north end of Jamison Lake)
Red-breasted Merganser (1 at north end of Jamison Lake)
1/28: Drive from Omak to Portland
Snow Bunting (40 on Rd F on west of 172 on Waterville Plateau)
2 White-headed Woodpecker, several Varied Thrushes, 2 American Dipper (at Sleeping Lady Resort in Leavenworth)
Yakima Arboretum (2 Snow Geese, several Cackling Geese, but no Harris's Sparrow)
Notes:
- We had several real nice sunny days and the Horned Lark flocks are breaking up. Many larks were territorial and singing from a rock. The downside of that is that looking for Lapland Longspurs becomes much more difficult.
- We saw Red-winged Blackbird and a Great Blue Heron in the Okanogan Highlands, Western Meadowlark on the Waterville Plateau. All are unusual in January as they typically are still lower down.
- Common Redpoll, Pine Grosbeak, Gray-crowned Rosy Finches were not around. Bohemian Waxwings were scarce and presumed to be still uphill and further to the north. Gyrfalcon is also unreported from the area this winter.
- 3 Northern Goshawks were an unusually high tally. 10 Yellow-rumped Warblers in January is also amazing.
- While Rough-legged Hawks were very much present in the Highlands, they were scarce on the Waterville Plateau.
Stefan Schlick
Hillsboro, OR
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