[Tweeters] WOS Winter Trip to Okanogan Highlands and Waterville Plateau 2/16-2/19, President's Day Weekend

[Shep Thorp]

Hi Tweets,

12 of us had a nice winter trip to the Okanogan Highlands and Waterville
Plateau over the President's Day weekend, Scott Ramos was my co-leader.
Temperatures were in the 20's to 30's with mostly clear skies.  We had
clouds with rain and snow on Monday 2/19.  Highlights included relocating a
SNOWY OWL just north of 1st on Woods or L in the Atkins Lake Area, COMMON
REDPOLL on Tonasket-Havillah Rd just south of the Highland Sno-Park,
NORTHERN PYGMY OWL on Mary Ann Creek Road and Salmon Creek Rd(off
Conconully Highway), BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER on Salmon Creek Road between
Happy Hill and Conconully Highway, great looks of PYGMY NUTHATCH at the
feeder home north of the Sit N Bull Tavern in Conconully, BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS
at the McLaughlin Canyon Road Orchards, and AMERICAN TREE SPARROW on the
south side of Cameron Lake Road.  We observed 87 species for the trip with
dips on Sharp-Tailed Grouse, Red Crossbills, Cassin's Finch, and Gray
Partridge.

On our going over day, Friday 2/16, we stopped by Debbie Sutherlands home
in Cashmere and had really nice looks of LESSER GOLDFINCH at the thistle
feeders.  While dropping off seed a nice bright, black and white, DOWNY
WOODPECKER came into the suet feeder.  At Walla Walla Point in Wenatchee,
we got good looks/study of CANVASBACK, LESSER SCAUP and a few GREATER
SCAUP.  The Winter resident MERLIN that I observed 2/2 was nowhere to be
seen.  On my scout 1/19 we relocated LONG-TAILED DUCK south of Wanapum Dam
and GREAT TAILED GRACKLE in the Walmart Parking lot at Moses Lake Shopping
Mall.  From Wenatchee we made our way up Badger Mountain to visit Calliope
Crossing at Jenny Graevell's home, dropped off seed, and enjoyed MOUNTAIN
CHICKADEE, and PYGMY NUTHATCH.  After a quick stop in Waterville we drove
directly to the Atkins Lake Area and scouted for over an hour to relocate
the SNOWY OWL.  I was not able to find the SNOW 1/19, when there was plenty
of snow.  Fortunately, a friendly car of other birders told us they located
a hiding Snowy on the west side of Woods or L Road just north of 1st where
the farm is.  We celebrated the find with poor video and photographs of a
distant white head turning blob.  *Please remember that the agricultural
land adjacent to the road is private property and should not be trespassed
nor surveyed by drone.  The Farmer greeted us to express their concern with
recent trespasses and drone use.  It does not help anyone in this day and
age to trespass, or drone survey without authorization, persons private
property.  Please respect wildlife and person's places, and at least ask
first.*  Woods Rd, L Road, Heritage Road was good for ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK,
NORTHERN HARRIER, and HORNED LARK.  1/19 we located LAPLAND LONGSPUR
amongst the HOLA, which is much harder to find with lack of snow 2/16.
1/19 we observed 1-2 PRAIRIE FALCON, and 2/16 we located a GREAT HORNED OWL
in the grainery thicket just north of 6th.  We had great shots of two GREAT
HORNED OWL in the barn at the base of G Street just north of 172, NE of
Mansfield.  We finished up our day at Bridgeport State Park where we
located 2 of 4 reported NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS that seemed very
comfortable.  There is only one GREAT HORNED OWL hanging around the park as
one died over the winter.  We had a great dinner at the Breadline Cafe and
stayed at the Omak Inn.

On Saturday 2/17, our second day, we headed to the Okanogan Highlands.  Our
first stop was the butte on Fancher Road, where we had good looks of GOLDEN
EAGLE and CHUKAR.  The Golden Eagle nests on the south end of the butte
have had some renovations, and we observed a breeding pair.  1/20, there
was much more snow and we observed over 50 Chukar.  2/2 was warm, wet and
muddy and we were lucky to find a single sentinel male. 2/17 was cold and
in the 20's and we observed over 25 Chukar.  From Fancher Road, we headed
to the south or lower end of Siwash Creek.  Sadly, Siwash Creek was a bust
for SHARP-TAILED GROUSE 2/17 and 2/3, but there was no snow in the hills to
push the birds down into the Water Birch.  On 1/20, we observed over 30
Sharp-tailed Grouse in the Water Birch in the gulch and in the Pines on the
north side of the road.  Without cold and snow, I think it's much harder to
find this species.  On the trip 2/3, we had a large group of COMMON REDPOLL
and on 2/17 we had a fly over of two.  Upper Siwash was unexpectedly quiet
all trips.  2/3 we located a dead animal at the north end of upper Siwash
that attracted two GOLDEN EAGLES and a nice group of BLACK-BILLED MAGPIES.
Back on the Tonasket-Havillah Road we bumped into a large group of COMMON
REDPOLL, probably 200 birds, just north of the Fancher Dam Road turn off
and south of the Sno-Park.  The flock was very cooperative and we got
extended time and lovely looks at this species.  The Highland Sno-Park was
slow.  No tantalizing hoots from the Great Gray Owl like last year in the
lower meadow.  On the scout 2/3, we had observation of CLARK'S NUTCRACKER,
CANADA JAY, STELLER'S JAY, and an AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER was heard
drumming from the paddock at the base of the upper meadow.  The Nealey Road
Feeder at Highland Meadows remains a good location for photographers to get
up close photos of MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE, WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH,
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, and east side bright white DOWNY WOODPECKER.  We
donated seed to the homeowner for thanks of allowing us access to the front
yard.  On may scout trip 1/20, we located a small flock of PINE GROSBEAK on
Bartroff Road.  On the WOS trip we had very nice observation of two
NORTHERN PYGMY OWL on MARY ANN CREEK ROAD, as well high count of 7 RUFFED
GROUSE.  There were reports of Snow Bunting on Teas Road, but we got there
too late 2/17 to relocate.  We had a tasty meal at the Joyful Thai in
Tonasket, then returned to the Omak Inn.

On Sunday 2/18, we headed to Conconully via the Scotch Creek Wildlife
area.  Again, similar scenario, no snow and thus no chickens.  On 1/20, our
scout observed one SHARP-TAILED GROUSE in the GREAT HORNED OWL Water Birch
just south of Happy Hill Road.  On 2/18, the Great Horned Owls were working
on taking over the RED-TAILED HAWK nest on the hill south of the
observation pull out just north of Happy Hill Road.  Salmon Creek Road
between Happy Hill Road and Conconully highway was good all three trips
with sightings of NORTHERN PYGMY OWL, AMERICAN DIPPER, BLACK-BACKED
WOODPECKER, CANYON WREN and early WESTERN BLUEBIRDS.  Conconully has a
helpful restroom stop at the Sit N Bull Tavern, I routinely donate seed to
a feeder home on the left hand side of the road just north of the Tavern
and Creek.  The owner of the home is a Park Ranger, and is familiar with
the owls at Bridgeport State Park, a very nice family, and it paid off 2/18
with best views ever of a large flock of PYGMY NUTHATCH coming in to eat
black oil sunflower seed.  On 2/4 we picked up TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE in a
Juniper bush just north of the feeder home.  From Conconully we headed to
McLaughlin Canyon Road just south of Tonasket for the orchards with very
reliable sightings of BOHEMIAN WAXWING.  Fortunately there is plenty of old
fruit in the orchard to keep the birds wintering in this area.  Cameron
Lake Road was very weather dependent like the plateau and highlands.  On
the WOS trip 2/18 we located AMERICAN TREE SPARROW on the south side of
Cameron Lake Road at the corner of the abandoned barn with the thicket
immediately on the west side of the road.  On 1/21 we had good numbers of
ATSP at Timentwa Creek, 150+ GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCH at the cattle scraping
on Timentwa Road, and a high count of 5000+ Snow Buntings on the south end
of Cameron Lake Road with upwards for 5 LAPLAND LONGSPUR and two distant
calling SANDHILL CRANES.  I dumped plenty of seed at the west side feeder
on Washburn Island with little results.  2/18 was quiet and we picked up
good waterbirds.  2/4 we relocated hybrid Mountain x Black-capped
Chickadee,  LINCOLN'S SPARROW, and hundreds of WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW.  1/21
our scout team found FOX SPARROW and a good size group of AMERICAN TREE
SPARROW on the east or left side of the island near where the Pine Trees
stop.

Our final day, Monday 2/19, we headed to Central Ferry Canyon Road after a
quick view from the Lake Pateros Overlooks.  My big hope is I'll be able to
relocate the Sharp-tailed Grouse on the Waterville Plateau that are no
longer feeding on the burnt Water Birch on Bridgeport Hill.  Both are part
of the Wells Wildlife Area.  Last year there was a report of Sharp-tailed
Grouse in the Water Birch in the afternoon, and I have yet to relocate them
in the morning.  They must be feeding somewhere, but with poor snow levels,
perhaps there is no reason for them to leave the higher elevations of the
hills.  1/22 I got stuck in the snow trying to drive from Central Ferry
Canyon to Dyer Hill Road.  2/5 we got hit with a snow storm and just got
plain lucky to find huge flocks of HORNED LARK with many SNOW BUNTINGS and
upwards of 3 LAPLAND LONGSPURS on Dyer Hill Road.  On 2/19 we saw a few
moderate sized flocks of Horned Lark that were impossible to pick through
due to the lack of snow.  Good news, we did locate 1-2 SNOW BUNTINGS on F
Road north of Waterville.

So a pretty typical Winter Trip with some great finds and disappointing
misses.  Perhaps that's why I find myself visiting the area two to four
times a winter to increase my odds of seeing stuff.  I pride myself on
locating Sharp-tailed Grouse for the WOS Group by giving myself an
opportunity to observe this species on each of the three mornings of the
trip.  This is the second year in a row that we did not see this species
for the WOS Trip.  Perhaps I should bump the trip up to the MLK holiday
weekend as opposed to keeping it on President's Day weekend... not sure.
We observed 87 Species for the WOS trip, so not too bad for a low snow year.

Tremendous thanks to Scott Ramos for his loyal co-leading and expertise.
And many thanks to the wonderful attendees for their enthusiasm and
excellent spotting.  I hope you can visit the Waterville Plateau and the
Okanogan Highlands soon.  There are plenty of birds to see with newer
reports of additional species and different locations.  Please remember,
Winter Birding is different than birding during migration.  There are lulls
in the sightings, and you need to take more precautions on remote roads
with snow and mud.

Happy and Safe birding, be well!

Shep and the WOS 2024 OHWP Winter Bird Trip.

-- 
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742
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