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February 21, 2004

The 21st of February 2004 dawned cool and damp with patches of low fog as we met at Hood Park in northwestern Walla Walla County. Fifteen well-bundled birders started this WOS field trip by meeting each other and getting some information on where we would be going on this unique outing. This was the “Owls by Day” WOS field trip along the lower Snake River. We started in Hood Park and our first great bird of the day was a lone northern saw-whet owl tucked up under the boughs of a thick blue spruce. Everyone had reasonable views of this small owl and this species proved to be a lifer for several participants. The second great find was the yellow-bellied sapsucker that MerryLynn and I had discovered on 19 February. This first-year bird was seen by all and again was both a state and life bird for several participants.

From Hood Park we drove east on S.R.124 to Fish Hook Park along the Snake River. Here we quietly began our search for roosting owls as we walked down into the park. Sixty-plus American robins flew over and about us as we headed for the nearest roost sites. Northern flickers and several juncos along with some California quail made their presence known. Near the west end of the park we again located a single roosting northern saw-whet owl in a thick blue spruce and everyone had great views of this beautiful little owl. Not more than ten minutes later a second saw-whet was located in another dense blue spruce about 170 feet from the first owl. By now the cry was “do we have to look at another saw-whet?”. As we headed back to the cars a single great horned owl was discovered roosting in a poplar; nearby was the adult female sitting on eggs atop an old magpie nest structure.

We next headed on east to C.M. Rice Road and our northward journey into the Skyrocket Hills and the Hollenbeck HMU. We slowly worked our way into this area’s outstanding habitat. Birding here is fun as it in no way resembles the rest of the Palouse region. Vines drape over numerous Russian olives, western junipers, and cottonwoods giving the area a near sub-tropical look. Here we discovered three barn owls, one northern saw-whet owl on roost in a juniper and a second saw-whet calling at mid-day. We also located four long-eared owls in dense Russian olive thickets along one of the many paths. Two white-throated sparrows were found as well as a northern shrike. MerryLynn also found a northern goshawk.

Soon, the clouds and wind stop and the sun warms the day making the temperature perfect. Packing up, we head on east along Sheffler Road and then connect with Lyons Ferry Road, across the Snake River headed north on S.R.261 to S.R. 260, then west to Kahlotus, and finally south on Devils Canyon Road to Windust Park below Lower Monumental Dam in Franklin County.

Windust Park is an island of trees along the shoreline of the Snake River surrounded by thin soils and dry conditions with about ten inches of precipitation a year. Our first discovery was a pair of long-eared owls in a pine near the restrooms. Everyone had outstanding views of these spectacular-looking owls. A lone brown creeper now popped up as did a calling Say’s phoebe. We then located eight more long-eared owls on a winter communal roost in a Russian olive thicket near the park. Not seven minutes later another northern saw-whet owl was located in the lower bough of a pine. This bird was in plain sight and an outstanding view was had by all.

It was now mid-afternoon and we had a ways to drive to our next and final stop. So out across the undulating Palouse hills we headed, west towards Pasco and the Columbia River. Our next stop was Big Flat HMU along the shoreline of the Snake River and directly north of Fish Hook Park. This is a large habitat management unit with miles of trails and patches of great habitat. Our first good discovery in this area was a sub-adult Harris’ sparrow in with 200+ white-crowned sparrows.