As Jim mentioned, yesterday I had 32 Lewis's Woodpeckers pass over Cash Prairie near Bethel Ridge in less than two minutes. Three years ago on 9/12 Cindy McCormack and I counted 28 moving west at Pierce NWR (below Bonneville Dam) in about 20 minutes. I don't know how often this occurs, but individuals were nearly annual along the Columbia River at Ridgefield NWR in either spring or fall when I worked there.



Randy Hill

Ridgefield



From: Tweeters [mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman11.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Jim Danzenbaker
Sent: Friday, September 4, 2020 6:46 PM
To: Andy Stepniewski; tweeters tweeters
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Lewis's Woodpeckers migrating high in the Cascades-4 September



Hi Andy,



I read your post with interest as I always look for (and never find any) Lewis's Woodpeckers in the Fall (or any other time) in Clark County. I was glad to find an immature this morning perched atop a dead tree in the foothills of eastern Clark County. Randy Hill mentioned seeing a movement of them at Bethel Ridge, Yakima County and now your report of birds on the move. In the foothills of Clark County including Larch Mountain, we're going to have a forecasted heavy east wind event early to mid next week so I'll be looking for more Lewis's Woodpeckers to be blown into our county. Maybe they will be accompanied by other central Cascade migrants! Hopefully wildfires won't also be blown in.



Stay well and be safe.



Keep your eyes and ears skyward.



Jim



On Fri, Sep 4, 2020 at 4:54 PM Andy Stepniewski <steppie at nwinfo.net> wrote:

Yakkers and Tweeters,



This morning I escaped the heat and smoke in Yakima and headed west up to Chinook Pass on the Cascade crest, at the east entrance of Mt. Rainier National Park. I had three target birds: Black Swift, Pine Grosbeak, and White-winged Crossbill. In three hours of observation in the pass area, I dipped on all three of my targets. On my descent on SR-410, 2.5 miles east of the pass, I stopped at a pullout to scan the skies one more time. I caught sight of several Lewis's Woodpeckers above me on the ridge, which tops out at about 6,000 feet elevation. At first I thought they might be flycatching from the many dead whitebark pines on the steep slopes above, victims of White Pine Blister Rust. After a moment, it was apparent these woodpeckers were heading southwest overhead and there were at least seven birds, I lost sight of this loose group crossing over the beautiful glacier-carved valley of the Rainier Fork of the American River. I can't recall seeing Lewis's Woodpeckers migrating in the subalpine zone. Birds of Washington (Wahl et al.) states "timing of migration varies locally, but birds generally depart in August or early September."



Andy Stepniewski

Yakima WA

steppie at nwinfo.net




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Jim Danzenbaker
Battle Ground, WA
360-702-9395
jdanzenbaker at gmail.com

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