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December 4, 2004 Kraig and Kathy Kemper led a trip to the Waterville Plateau Foggy conditions obscured much of the Waterville Plateau on Friday when Kraig and Kathy were scouting for this trip, and those conditions lingered somewhat on Saturday, but what we mostly had was snow (accumulations of up to 4 inches). We started at the Dry Falls Overlook, where we heard Coyote calling at dawn. From there we headed up to US 2 and east onto the plateau. We then headed north on SR 172, eventually getting as far as Manfield where we stopped at the cemetery and to walk a bit through town. We continued on SR 172 (with a stop at the copse down Heritage Rd.) to SR 17 on which we headed north to Bridgeport. We then backtracked up Bridgeport Hills Rd. to the best locations for Sharp-tailed Grouse. When dusk fell, we drove to Pateros for the night. Sunday dawned with better-looking weather which later turned to actual sunshine. We headed back to Bridgeport (where we drove extensively through town), then up Bridgeport Hills Rd. once again. After that, it was back to Bridgeport, then continuing on SR 173 to Moe Rd. and thence to Grange Rd. (Bridgeport Bar area), where we poked around several locations. The trip ended around noon Sunday, as people needed to get home. Saturday's highlights included: 1 "HARLAN'S" Red-tailed Hawk on the grain elevator in Mansfield; many (~20) Rough-legged Hawks, especially along SR 172; 1 Golden Eagle of US 2; 1 Great Horned Owl on SR 172 a bit west of Mansfield, and another at the Heritage Rd. copse; 1 Northern Shrike near the intersection of SR 17 and US 2 in Grant County, and 1 in Mansfield; Many Horned Lark of both usual subspecies, especially in a flock a half-mile south of Withrow (perhaps 1000) and in a flock at the intersection of SR 172 and Heritage (maybe 3000); 1 male VARIED THRUSH in Withrow; a few LAPLAND LONGSPUR south of Withrow with Horned Larks; about 40 SNOW BUNTING, also with larks south of Withrow; and about 4 COMMON REDPOLL in a birch in a yard between the grain elevator and the cemetery in Mansfield. Sunday's highlights included: 1 drake REDHEAD off Grange Rd.; 1 Bald Eagle off Grange Rd.; a Sharp-shinned Hawk in Bridgeport and a Cooper's Hawk off Grange Rd. (we had several other accipiter sightings which we could not always resolve to species); a juvenile Golden Eagle at the upper Sharp-tailed site off Bridgeport Hills Rd.; a MERLIN chasing the Sharp-shinned around Bridgeport; a NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL at the upper Sharp-tailed site (thanks Kathy!); a Northern Shrike also at the upper Sharp-tailed site; 2 Mountain Chickadee off Grange Rd; approximately 80 BOHEMIAN WAXWING in a large cottonwood in Bridgeport, which we got to watch for a long time in sunshine. We also had a smaller flock, perhaps 40, off Grange Rd., where they proved how much they look like starlings or blackbirds in flight; about 5 Yellow-rumped Warblers off Grange Rd.; dozens, maybe hundreds, of White-crowned Sparrows (flocking only with Song Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco) off Moe and Grange Rds.; and six Western Meadowlark off Grange Rd. Barry Levine had a brief glimpse of a SHARP-TAILED GROUSE at the lower Bridgeport Hills Rd. site. We were otherwise unable to spot any, nor were we able to find any "good" sparrows, despite serious searching. Temperatures ranged from 31 up to about 36 degrees both days, with 33 being the usual temp. It was a good trip, though the species count wasn't terribly high. Report by Michael Hobbs |
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Washington Ornithological Society. 12345 Lake City Way NE, #215. Seattle, WA 98125. Information@WOS.org
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