Washington Ornithological Society

Report of
The 14th Annual Conference

of the

Washington Ornithological Society

Okanogan, Washington

June 14 - 16, 2002

Bobolink illustration by Debra Davis, baviskd@televar.com, from Birds of Yakima County, Washington

The 14th Annual Conference of the Washington Ornithological Society was held at the Cedars Inn in Okanogan from Friday, June 14, through Sunday, June 16, 2002. Okanogan is located near the junction of Highways 97 and 20 in north central Washington, and is 150 miles south of the Canadian border, 100 miles north of Wenatchee, 150 miles west of Spokane, and 240 miles east of Seattle. Okanogan is situated on the floor of the Okanogan Valley, a sunny, dry area of sage-covered foothills rimmed by mountainous pine forests.

See the conference announcement for pre-trip descriptions, and WOSNews 80 for field trip highlights.

Field Trip Species List

Click on a Field Trip number for a route description

Species H-1 H-2 H-3 L-1 L-2 L-3 L-4 L-5 L-6 O-1 O-2 O-3
Common Loon       X   X X X X      
Pied-billed Grebe X X   X X X X X X      
Horned Grebe       X                
Red-necked Grebe X X X X   X   X        
Eared Grebe         X X X X X      
Western Grebe             X X X      
American White Pelican             X   X      
Double-crested Cormorant             X   X      
Great Blue Heron X     X X X X X X      
Turkey Vulture X     X X   X X X      
Canada Goose X X   X X X X X X      
Wood Duck X     X     X   X      
Gadwall       X     X X X      
American Wigeon       X X X X X X      
Mallard X X X X X X X X X   X  
Blue-winged Teal       X X X X X X   X  
Cinnamon Teal     X X   X X X X   X  
Northern Shoveler       X X X X X        
Northern Pintail       X         X      
Green-winged Teal       X   X X X X      
Canvasback             X X X      
Redhead X     X X X X X X      
Ring-necked Duck       X X X X X X      
Greater Scaup       X     X X        
Lesser Scaup       X   X X X X      
Surf Scoter             X          
Bufflehead       X   X X X X      
Common Goldeneye       X X     X        
Barrow's Goldeneye   X   X X X X X        
Hooded Merganser           X   X X      
Common Merganser           X            
Ruddy Duck       X X X X X X   X  
Osprey X X   X X X X X X   X  
Bald Eagle X   X X       X X      
Northern Harrier X     X   X X X X      
Sharp-shinned Hawk       X     X          
Swainson's Hawk         X X X X        
Red-tailed Hawk X X X X X X X X X      
Ferruginous Hawk                 X      
Golden Eagle X       X X X   X      
American Kestrel X X X X X   X X X      
Prairie Falcon             X          
Chukar   X   X         X      
Gray Partridge               X        
Ring-necked Pheasant X X X X   X X X X      
Ruffed Grouse         X           X  
Spruce Grouse   X X                  
Blue Grouse   X X   X              
California Quail X X X X X X X X X   X  
Virginia Rail       X X X X X        
Sora       X X X            
American Coot X X   X X X X X X   X  
Killdeer X X X X X X X X X   X  
Black-necked Stilt             X          
American Avocet             X   X      
Spotted Sandpiper X X X X X X X X X      
Long-Billed Curlew X     X X              
Common Snipe X     X X X   X     X  
Wilson's Phalarope       X   X X X X      
Franklin's Gull             X          
Ring-Billed Gull X     X   X X   X      
California Gull   X   X   X X   X      
Caspian Tern             X   X      
Black Tern X       X X   X        
Rock Dove X X X X X X X X X      
Mourning Dove X X X X X X X X X   X  
Flammulated Owl                   X X  
Western Screech-Owl                   X    
Great Horned Owl                     X X
Northern Pygmy-Owl                   X    
Barred Owl X X           X   X X  
Great Gray Owl               X        
Long-eared Owl                   X    
Common Nighthawk       X X X X X X      
Common Poorwill                   X    
Vaux's Swift       X                
White-throated Swift       X X              
Black-chinned Hummingbird       X X X X X        
Calliope Hummingbird X     X   X X X        
Rufous Hummingbird           X            
Belted Kingfisher X X   X   X X X X      
Lewis's Woodpecker X     X X X X X X      
Williamson's Sapsucker X X     X     X        
Red-naped Sapsucker X     X X X X X X      
Downy Woodpecker     X X X X X X X      
Hairy Woodpecker X X X   X X X X        
Three-toed Woodpecker X X X         X        
Black-backed Woodpecker             X          
Northern Flicker X X X X X X X X X      
Pileated Woodpecker X     X X X            
Olive-sided Flycatcher   X     X X   X        
Western Wood-Pewee X X X X X X X X X   X  
Alder Flycatcher               X        
Willow Flycatcher X     X X X X X X X    
Least Flycatcher       X   X X   X      
Hammond's Flycatcher   X X   X X   X        
Gray Flycatcher             X   X   X  
Dusky Flycatcher X     X X X X X X   X  
Pacific-slope Flycatcher X X X   X X            
Say's Phoebe       X X X X X X      
Western Kingbird X X X X X X X X X   X  
Eastern Kingbird X X X X X X X X X   X  
Loggerhead Shrike             X          
Cassin's Vireo   X   X X X X X        
Warbling Vireo X X X X X X X X X      
Red-eyed Vireo       X X              
Gray Jay X X X   X     X        
Steller's Jay         X   X          
Clark's Nutcracker X X X X X     X        
Black-billed Magpie X X   X X X X X X      
American Crow X X X X X X X X X   X  
Common Raven X X X X X X X X X      
Horned Lark           X X   X      
Tree Swallow X X X X X X X X X      
Violet-green Swallow X X X X X X X X X      
Northern Rough-winged Swallow X     X   X X X X      
Bank Swallow X     X X X X X X   X  
Cliff Swallow X X X X X X X X X   X  
Barn Swallow X X   X X X X X X      
Black-capped Chickadee X     X   X X X X      
Mountain Chickadee X X X X X X X X X      
Chestnut-backed Chickadee         X              
Boreal Chickadee X X X                  
Red-breasted Nuthatch X X X X X X X X X      
White-breasted Nuthatch         X X X          
Pygmy Nuthatch   X   X X X X   X      
Brown Creeper   X X         X        
Rock Wren     X   X   X   X      
Canyon Wren       X X              
House Wren X     X X X X X X      
Winter Wren X   X X                
Marsh Wren       X X X X X X      
Golden-crowned Kinglet X X X   X X   X        
Ruby-crowned Kinglet X X X   X X   X        
Western Bluebird X X X X X X X X X      
Mountain Bluebird X   X   X X X X        
Townsend's Solitaire X X X       X X   X    
Veery     X X X X       X    
Swainson's Thrush X X X X X X   X        
Hermit Thrush X X X             X    
American Robin X X   X X X X X X X X  
Varied Thrush X X X     X            
Gray Catbird X     X X X     X      
Sage Thrasher             X          
European Starling X X X X X X X X X   X  
American Pipit     X                  
Cedar Waxwing X X X X X X X X X      
Orange-crowned Warbler X       X X X X        
Nashville Warbler X     X X   X          
Yellow Warbler X   X X X X X X X      
Yellow-rumped Warbler X X X X X X X X        
Townsend's Warbler X X X     X   X        
Northern Waterthrush         X X   X        
MacGillivray's Warbler     X X X X   X        
Common Yellowthroat X     X X X     X      
Wilson's Warbler X         X   X        
Yellow-breasted Chat                 X      
Western Tanager X X   X X X X          
Spotted Towhee X X X X X X X X X      
Chipping Sparrow X X X X X X X X X      
Clay-colored Sparrow               X        
Brewer's Sparrow         X X X   X   X  
Vesper Sparrow X   X X X X X X X   X  
Lark Sparrow       X     X   X      
Savannah Sparrow X     X X X X X X      
Grasshopper Sparrow             X   X      
Fox Sparrow   X X                  
Song Sparrow X   X X X X X X X   X  
Lincoln's Sparrow X X       X            
Dark-eyed Junco X X X X X X X X        
Black-headed Grosbeak X     X X X X X        
Lazuli Bunting       X X X X   X      
Bobolink X     X X X   X        
Red-winged Blackbird X X X X X X X X X   X  
Western Meadowlark X X X X X X X X X   X  
Yellow-headed Blackbird X   X X X X X X X      
Brewer's Blackbird X X X X X X X X X   X  
Brown-headed Cowbird X X X X X X X X X      
Bullock's Oriole X     X X X X X X      
Pine Grosbeak     X                  
Cassin's Finch       X X X X X X      
House Finch X X   X     X X X      
Red Crossbill   X X   X X X X        
White-winged Crossbill   X X                  
Pine Siskin X X X X X X X X X      
American Goldfinch X   X X X X X X X      
House Sparrow X X X X X X X X X      

Approximate Field Trip Routes

H-1 LONG SWAMP: From Tonasket, northwest on Loomis-Oroville Rd to Loomis.  From there, the Toats Coulee Road westward to Long Swamp (T39NR23E), then south on FR 39 to Corral Butte and towards Thunder Mountain.

Saturday - Marv Breece & Marcus Roening, Sunday - Ken Knittle

H-2 ROGER LAKE: Saturday's trip made a loop from Concunully up FR 38 to Salmon Meadow (T37NR24E), then up FR 3820 over Lone Frank Pass to FR 39. South from there, past Tiffany Spring , to Roger Lake (T36NR23E), and returning to Conconully on FR 37.  Sunday's trip was shorter, visiting only Roger Lake and the lower part of the Freezeout Ridge trail which heads up Tiffany Mountain.

Saturday - Brian Bell assisted by Michael Schroeder (emphasizing grouse), Sunday - Marcus Roening

H-3 FREEZEOUT RIDGE: This trip followed the same route as Saturday's H2, but with different stops.  Most of the trip was a hike up the Freezeout Ridge trail most of the way up Tiffany Mountain.  Roger Lake was skipped.

Saturday - Scott Downes & Charlie Wright

L-1 PALMER LAKE AND CHAMPNEYS SLOUGH: From Loomis, up Loomis-Oroville Road through the upper Sinlahekin Valley to Palmer Lake.  North of the lake, Chopaka Road was taken along Champney's Slough.

Saturday - Gene Hunn, Sunday - Brian Bell

L-2 AENEAS VALLEY AND THE WEST FORK OF THE SANPOIL: Saturday's trip took SR 20 east from Tonasket, turning right on Aeneas Valley Road.  Stops were made at various lakes along the way.  FR 359 was then taken up the Sanpoil River.  Sunday's trip turned off the Aeneas Valley Road and explored many spots near Lyman Lake (T36NR30E).

Saturday - Mark Houston, Sunday - Kent Woodruff

L-3 BEAVER LAKE AND TORODA CREEK: Sunday trip:  From Tonasket, SR 20 east to Bonaparte Lake Road, then east along Oroville-Toroda Creek Road then north and east along Toroda Crek Road to W. Kettle River Road.  From there, backtracking all the way to the Beaver Lake/Beth Lake area.  Saturday's trip may have continued past Beth Lake to Lost Lake.

Saturday - Bill & Nancy LaFramboise, Sunday - Brenda Senturia

L-4 COLVILLE PLATEAU: These trips followed Cameron Lake Road (or Wakefield-Cameron Lake Road), for the full 30 miles from Okanogan to Monse, stopping at suitable habitats along the way.  Some trips continued down US97 to the mouth of the Okanogan River.

Friday - Patrick & Ruth Sullivan, Saturday - Kraig Kemper, Sunday - Marv Breece

L-5 HAVILLAH AND MOLSON: From Tonasket, NE on Tonasket-Havillah Road to the Highlands Snow Park near Havillah, then continuing on, taking Kipling Road to Muskrat Lake, and north to Molson and Sidley Lakes west of Molson (T40NR29E).

Saturday - Ryan Shaw, Sunday - Patrick & Ruth Sullivan

L-6 SOAP LAKE: Kraig's trips started at the south end of Soap Lake Road (T31NR25E) and worked north to Little Soap Lake and Soap Lake, then backtracked to US97 for stops at Monse and at the mouth of the Okanogan.  Ken's trip started at the north end of Soap Lake Road (a few miles south of Okanogan off US97), following it to the southern end.  They then went to Bridgeport State Park to Central Ferry Canyon, across the Columbia from Brewster.

Friday - Kraig Kemper, Saturday - Ken Knittle,  Sunday - Kraig Kemper

O-1 LOUP LOUP PASS CAMPGROUND: The Sullivans started at Loup Loup Campground, continuing north on FR 42.  Saturday's trip started at Rock Creek Campground (located up Loup Loup Canyon Road), tried for Common Poorwill (near Buzzard Lake Road?), and then on to Loup Loup Campground.

Friday - Patrick & Ruth Sullivan, Saturday - Scott Downes & Charlie Wright

O-2 MOSES MEADOW: This trip went east from Omak on SR 155, then northeast on Lyman Lake - Moses Meadow Road to Moses Meadow.

Friday - Gene Hunn

O-3 HAVILLAH AREA: This trip went up Tonasket-Havillah Road northeast from Tonasket to the Highlands Snow Park near Havillah.

Saturday - Patrick & Ruth Sullivan

Also, read about the 2001 WOS Conference.

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