[Tweeters] New Year’s Day in the Okanogan Highlands

[Marcus Roening]

Hi Tweets,

My wife, Heather, and I along with Wayne Sladek made the run from Tonasket to Chesaw in the Okanogan Highlands today.  The most notable part was the amazing amount of snow - anywhere from 2 1/2 - 3’!  Even down by the Columbia River at Bridgeport Bar and Bridgeport SP the day before there was 2’ of snow. We ended up using our XC Skis at the Bar and post holing at the SP - the latter definitely much more work.  The roads were all quite nicely plowed, but were all compact snow and some ice.

We started out at Fancher Ranch and were rewarded with 70 Chukars & 12 CA Quail - always a treat to see these guys up close.  From there we drove up and down and up again Siwash Creek in search of ST Grouse.  We were rewarded at the very top where it widens out and were able to watch 12 ST Grouse feeding in the River Birch.

From there we did Nealy Road (where we just missed Snow Buntings) to Chesaw and back via Hungry Hollow Road. The biggest shock was that we did not see any Raptor on the whole loop and it was sunny.  We’ve seen a half a dozen RL Hawks around Havillah alone on past trips - perhaps the snow was just too deep for good hunting? Our only RL Hawk so far was at Bridgeport Bar at Grange Road corner - not a place I would have expected. And for anyone in that area - there was a report of a Heard Only Pileated Woodpecker - it’d be a county first.

On 12/29, we XC Skiing at Pearrygin SP out of Winthrop and had 180 Bohemian Waxwings at the Sno-Park, the most we’ve ever seen.

Happy New Year!

Marcus Roening
Tacoma WA
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