[Tweeters] RBA N Idaho / E Washington / NE Oregon 27 Dec 2004

[Dumroese Family]

RBA

* northern Idaho / eastern Washington / northeastern Oregon
* as above
* December 27, 2004
* IDWA04.12.27

- birds mentioned

Yellow-billed Loon
Pacific Loon
Cackling Goose
Long-tailed Duck
Red-breasted Merganser
Thayer's Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Glaucous Gull
Western Gull
Snowy Owl
Blue Jay
Hutton's Vireo
Black-and-white Warbler
Harris's Sparrow
Purple Finch
White-winged Crossbill

- transcript

hotline: northern Idaho / eastern Washington / northeastern Oregon
Date: 27 December 2004
Internet only.
Compiler: Kas Dumroese
Transcriber: Kas.... dumroese at moscow dot com

This is the northern Idaho / eastern Washington / northeastern Oregon bird 
hotline for Monday 13 December (2004). Transcripts of this RBA and Palouse 
Audubon membership info are available on-line at 
http://www.palouseaudubon.org

The HUTTON'S VIREO first spotted on 18 Dec in Walla Walla, Walla Walla Co 
WA, was seen again on 22 and 23 Dec. This bird is part of a mixed feeding 
flock foraging around the Blue Mountain Archery Range, which is 1.1 miles 
east up Blue Creek Road off Mill Creek Road. Follow Mill Creek east from 
Walla Walla about 5 miles. Mill Creek is south of US 12. WA DeLorme 41, D-7.

The BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER found on the Coeur d'Alene, Kootenai Co ID 
Christmas Bird Count on 19 Dec, was seen again on 24 Dec by Gina Sheridan, 
Garrett MacDonald, and Larry and Matthew Mosquik. It was in the City Park 
near Independence Point. Several birders looked for, but did not find it, on 
26 Dec. Also on the 24, Gina et al. report a CACKLING GOOSE at Independence 
Point and at nearby North Idaho College, a single, first winter THAYER'S 
GULL. To get to North Idaho College from the intersection of US 95 and 
Northwest Blvd on the south end of CdA, take Northwest Blvd southeast about 
0.5 mile and turn right onto Lincoln Way. Go one block and turn right onto 
River Avenue. Follow River Avenue about 0.25 miles to Rosenberry Drive which 
runs along the top of the dike along the river. See A Birders' Guide to 
Idaho p 50 and ID DeLorme 60, B-1. If you continue along the dike for a few 
blocks, you'll end up at City Park, directly adjacent to Independence Point. 
That same day, Gina et al. also found a female LONG-TAILED DUCK at Hayden 
Lake, north of Coeur d'Alene. To get there from I-90 in CdA, go north on US 
95 toward Sandpoint. Pass the Silver Lake Mall and Prairie Avenue. At the 
second right past Prairie Avenue (US 95 milepost 434.3), turn east on 
Honeysuckle (Texaco on the corner) and proceed through the light on 
Government Way. Honeysuckle stops when it hits 4th Street and 4th becomes 
Honeysuckle to the left. Take the left toward Honeysuckle Beach. Just before 
the beach, turn right on South Hayden Lake Drive and note your mileage. This 
road has other turnouts, is narrow, and busy, so be careful. Also stay out 
of the way of the locals. ID DeLorme 60, AB-1.5 and A Birders Guide to Idaho 
p 43-45.

On 21 Dec during the Grand Coulee, Grant Co WA Christmas Bird Count, Patrick 
and Ruth Sullivan found several good birds, including a YELLOW-BILLED LOON 
and PACIFIC LOON at the Sunbanks Waterfront Resort on Banks Lake. To get 
there, take WA 155 south from Electric City but turn west before crossing 
Osborn Bay Lake. WA DeLorme 85, A-8. Also in the vicinity were 3 
RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, a HARRIS'S SPARROW in a brushy area along the 
northern edge of the golf course just north of the Grand Coulee Airport, a 
female PURPLE FINCH in the Russianolive thicket north of the airport. The 
airport is west of WA 155 south of Osborn Bay Lake. On 22 Dec, they located 
a THAYER'S GULL and 2 GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS at the Coulee Playland Resort in 
Electric City along the north end of Banks Lake. Further south along WA 155 
near Steamboat Rock State Park on Banks Lake they saw a first winter 
GLAUCOUS GULL seen the day before by Teri Pieper. WA DeLorme 85, AB-7.5. 
And, they report a WESTERN GULL along US 2 at Dry Falls Dam near Coulee 
City, Grant Co WA. WA DeLorme 85, CD-6.

In LaGrande, Union Co OR on 24 Dec, Trent Bray heard a BLUE JAY and observed 
a flock of 4 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS, the later last seen feeding at the 
corner of Walnut and Penn. OR DeLorme 86, C-4.

On 21 Dec Terry Gray observed a female RED-BREASTED MERGANSER at Denton 
Slough on Lake Pend Oreille, Bonner Co ID. The slough.is at ID 200 milepost 
49.2. See A Birders' Guide to Idaho p 34 and ID DeLorme 62, C-3.

Several SNOWY OWLS were reported from WA. On 27 Dec Doug Schonewald found 5 
individuals just south-southeast of Moses Lake, Grant Co, WA. Four owls were 
visible west of Road "K" SE between Roads 4 and 5 SE. The fifth bird was 
located between Roads 3 and 4 SE and west of Road "M" SE. Take WA 17 south 
from Moses Lake. WA DeLorme 69, D-6.

Another SNOWY OWL was east of Reardan, Lincoln Co WA today, according to 
Marian Frobe. This bird was just east of the Lincoln-Spokane county line 
along the Old Sunset Highway, south of US 2, between Stroup and Carstens 
roads.WA DeLorme 88, C-2.

CACKLING GEESE were observed 27 Dec in Moses Lake, Grant Co, WA by Doug 
Schonewald. To see them, take I-90 exit 179, head north (don't take WA 17). 
Turn left at the stop light at Nelson Road and follow Nelson until it ends. 
Also there were 25 DUNLIN.

Good birding!

Kas