Hi again Tweets - In response to my original post on Sept. 9, I got a hurried email from Meredith Spencer, an excellent local birder who lives in Bridgeport, caught between two of the largest fires in the state. Meredith confirmed most of my expressed fears for the area. Of course, we have since learned the human tragedy of the fires, all too sad. Here's what she wrote late Sept. 11:

"Hi, Jon, You are right; the Cold Springs/Pearl Hill Fire has destroyed most of our habitat.......I've only seen the area quite close to town [Bridgeport], but I know two Wildlife people who drove most of the burned area in Doug. Co., including Bridgeport Hill (all burned; no water birch left for Sharp-tailed Grouse). Most of the [eastern] Waterville plateau has burned including Moses Coulee, Atkins Lake, and the Long-eared Owl place and building on Heritage Rd. Dezellem Hill (Dry Creek/Dyer Hill Rd. area) is all burned. Pearl Hill (behind [south and east of] the Chief Joseph dam) burned. Bridgeport State Park is okay, but gated shut. The fire burned out to Leahy Junction [Sagegrouse lek area] and beyond. I don't know anyone with personal info. about Cameron Lake Rd. area, but a lot burned! We lost about a dozen homes in town or nearby. I don't think the town of Mansfield lost any. We are hoping the fire headed towards Central Ferry does not reach there! We now have power and water, and today got the internet back. Fire camp is here in Bridgeport and I was told they plan to feed about 500 fire fighters tonight! Meredith Spencer, Bridgeport" Sadly reported by Jon Houghton - Edmonds

From: Jon Houghton
Sent: Wednesday, September 9, 2020 12:00 PM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: Infringement by fire

Hi Tweeterdom - As if we didn't have enough major issues (elections, Covid, racial injustices and riots in the streets). Now we see the dramatic effects of climate change on wild fires in the west, most dramatically in California, but we've got a few major nastys here in WA (just ask citizens of Graham and Malden). I expect many of you are tracking the devastation of these fires throughout the state and may have altered birding plans as a result. For us birders, it seems there are at least two of these fires that are impacting many of our (my?) favorite winter and spring birding areas. The Evans Canyon fire (mostly contained at the moment at about 75,000 acres) has so far spared the Wenas Campground and perhaps the Maloy Rd. Horse Camp, but has certainly burned through or at least around the Hardy Canyon area (aka Dickcissel place!), Durr Rd., parts of Umptanum Rd., Umtanum trail by the Falls and down to the Yakima River, and areas south of North Wenas Rd. across the Wenas Valley, and up over Cleman Mt. Yikes! Then there's the amazing Cold Springs/Pearl Hill complex that seems to have started near the Casino just outside of Omak and raced south, across the Columbia River and all the way past (fortunately!) Mansfield to Route 2, encompassing over 300,000 acres in about 24 hours!! Double yikes. This fire's perimeter includes most of Cameron Lake Road and the Timentwa Plateau, Bridgeport State Park, Bridgeport Hill Road, the Leahy Sage Grouse lek, and much of the eastern Waterville Plateau, Jamison Lake and Moses Coulee, and south to Atkins Lake. Wow! I'm hoping some of the local birders can fill us in on more detail regarding damage to some of these sensitive areas. Until I learn more, I remain, apprehensively: Jon Houghton, Edmonds
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/pipermail/tweeters/attachments/20200912/461206bb/attachment.html>