I think my car could drive itself to Jameson Lake. My vehicle (whichever one I owned at the time) has taken us there so many times over the past two decades, I think there is a kinetic energy that knows where to go.

We headed to the south end of Jameson to see what new spring residents had arrived. When we were there in January, and exited the coulee, we discovered what we believed to possibly be a new Prairie Falcon (PRFA) nest site.  As we were driving south, not far from the intersection with US 2, a PRFA flew directly in front of us, up to the basalt face, and into a hole in the rock wall. We stopped the car and I got out to take a picture of the wall where the PRFA flew. That picture also gave us the GPS coordinates, so when we came back we could find the location.

As we headed out to Jameson Lake this morning, we wondered if we would see the same falcon again. We found the spot in the basalt where we had seen it before and pulled over and stopped along the side of the road. One good thing about the Jameson Lake Road is that if it is not fishing season, no one is there. Once fishing season starts, it’s another story. 

We parked the car, turned off the engine and got out of the car with our binoculars. We could see the PRFA flying against the basalt. As we looked up into the sky, we could see two birds soaring high above us. Our binoculars told us that they were both Red-tailed hawks, and they were being pursued by a smaller falcon-type bird. Eventually they came down closer to us and we could see that the Red-taileds were being harassed by an American Kestral (AMKE). Eventually, we saw a second AMKE and figured they must have an nest in the wall and were unhappy with the Red-taileds being around. As we stood there watching them all, we also noticed three Says Phoebes flitting around, in and out of the sagebrush.

We headed up to the lake. Just as you approach the lake, there is a cattle guard, and if you hit it going too fast it makes a tremendous racket so that all the water fowl in that part of the lake flee to the opposite shore where you can barely see them. So I slowed down and slowly rolled over the cattle guard.

There was a good variety of ducks in the lake, Ringnecks, Scaups, Ruddys, Common Merganzers, and American Wigeons, to name a few.

Along with them, a few Canada geese, a couple Pied-billed grebes, about 30 swallows flying high overhead, and the ever present multitude of American Coots.

As we approached the little pull out that is a WDFW camping spot, we saw an older man sitting with his camper and his dog looking at the basalt wall with binoculars. I had to stop and ask him if he knew where the PRFA nest was. The nest I was referring to was the one by the lake where we were, not the one back down by the entrance. He did not know where the nest was so I pointed it out to him. We knew there were PRFAs around. That spot has been an active nesting spot for at least the last three years. 

The man was interesting to talk to. He was from the Bellingham area and told us his dog was an Alaskan Husky and he was 16 years old. SIXTEEN! He said that in the dog’s younger years he had been a sled dog and had raced in two Iditarods. 

As we were standing there talking to him an Eagle came flying down the coulee overhead, circled around us and headed east. We got a good look at him and decided he was a third year sub-adult Bald Eagle. Pretty exciting. 

As we stood there observing, two PRFAs came flying in, back-and-forth across and over the basalt.

As we watched them, we discovered a totally new nest, and another spot that looked like it had been used as a nest.

As we were wondering if they had changed the nest location,  one of the PRFAs flew back to the old nest location. It stuck around for a few minutes and then left again and flew away.

We wondered if maybe they hadn’t decided yet on where to settle and were checking out the real estate.

We drove up to Jack’s Resort (which is still closed) and to the locked gate and observed that section of the lake for a while. The gate won’t be opened until the end of the month when fishing season begins.

As we went to leave and return home, we stopped to talk to the gentleman again and tell him where we had seen the PRFAs on what looked like a new nest. He had been watching them with his binoculars and had discovered the same location. As we were talking to him an Osprey came in! The first one we have seen this year. He flew right over us, took a nose dive into the lake and came up with a fish! The wind was really blowing hard and that Osprey had quite a time to get up with the fish and take off flying. But eventually he gained some altitude and took off.

As we drove south out of the area we slowed down past the southern basalt wall where we had seen the previous birds. We spotted the little Kestrel sitting on some sagebrush watching us go by. 

The End of the Season

I was reminded of that billboard that was put up in Seattle in April, 1971. It said, “Will the last person leaving Seattle – – Turn out the lights.” If you don’t know what that was referring to, Google will tell you.

The reason that billboard came to my mind was because today was this season’s last Winter Raptor Survey that Amanda and I conducted for East Cascades Audubon Society.  Today we saw the evidence that those Arctic visitors that migrate down each winter have, indeed, left town.

The Snowy Owls have not been seen for weeks. The Gyrfalcon hid itself very well this year, as we never found one. And, the Roughies (Rough-legged Hawks) have departed.  We did see one today. He must have missed the bus. But, for all intents and purposes, they have flown the coop.

There are always more Arctic visitors in November when we start our surveys and migration is in full force. In November, the three-survey total for Rough-legged-Hawks was 53. The total for March was 11. That being said, we usually see Snowy Owls at the end of December. This year they didn’t show up until February 10, and they only stayed a couple of weeks. By the end of the month, they were gone.

Thankfully, the year-round residents are still here. On the three routes we travel, we see Red-tailed Hawks, Northern Harriers, Prairie Falcons, American Kestrels, Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles year round.

So, perhaps, we should leave the lights on for them.

They Finally Showed Up!

“Whoop! Whoop! Whoop! Stop! Stop!”

Don was yelling from the backseat.

“There’s a Snowy right behind us! In that rock pile, right there!”

I slammed on the brakes and looked in the rearview mirror, but saw nothing. I started to back up when he exclaimed, “Oh! There! He took off.”

We turned around in our seats and watched the Snowy Owl fly off to the southeast.  Well, we just had to find him! So I turned the car around and headed back east.  In about a half a mile, we came to the closest farmhouse and a farm road heading south.  We turned the corner and didn’t have to go too far before we found him, sitting on a rock pile in the middle of the field.  We set up our tripods and tried to get some photos.

That was the second Snowy Owl we had seen that day.  I had been watching the eBird postings for quite a while, waiting to see if any had been spotted.  Usually they arrive in this area in the beginning of January, but here it was past the middle of February. So, when they showed up on eBird, there was nothing to do but drive the Dry Falls Survey route and see if we could put one or more one our count list.  We are hoping when we return for our last survey in March, that the Snowys will still be there.  After all, they were late arriving, so they should stay longer.

The first Snowy we found was relatively close to the road and didn’t seem to mind the handful of people snapping away with their cameras.  After we stayed there for a bit, we headed along our route, keeping our eyes pealed.  Sure enough, about a mile east, we spotted another about 1/4 mile out in the field. 

Too far to get a good picture, but close enough to get a positive identification. We were happy! 

Another bonus to that area was the fact that Spring migration has started and there were two Merlins cavorting in the air and buzzing the Snowy.  They are way too quick to get a photo, but we were happy to see them.

As we approached those fields between St. Andrews and the Vernal (non) Ponds, we again were met with a number of Northern Harriers. 

They seem to really like that place!  And just a little further we came upon four Rough-legged Hawks.

We have one more month of Winter Raptor Surveys and we haven’t spotted a Gyrfalcon yet.  EBird says they have been seen in the area, so we are keeping our eyes open.  Of course, since they are a sensitive species, we don’t know exactly where they have been observed. We just have a general idea and we know where we have seen them before.  So, we hope to still spot one.

Today’s Survey:

Red-tailed Hawk  4
American Kestrel  1
Northern Harrier  7
Rough-legged Hawk  9
Prairie Falcon  2
Merlin 2
Snowy Owl 3

Caught Between the Fog and the Mud

There’s an old saying that states “The third time’s the charm.” But we’re not so sure. 

The first time this month we attempted to survey the Waterville route, we ran into a wall of fog at the top of Pine Canyon. We were hoping we could drive out of it, but no such luck. So we turned around and headed home.  It’s kind of hard to count raptors when you’re in the middle of a white out.

The next day looked better, so we headed out again. This time we got as far as the actual starting point of the route, but again the fog rolled in. We drove on for 13 more miles, but it got thicker and thicker. Once again, we turned around and headed home.

With only four more days in the month, we were running out of time. The weather forecast for that time span was dismal. But, Monday’s prediction was 40% rain. We thought that was our best shot. 

So, IS the third time the charm? We doubted it. We were fine until we reached the top of Pine Canyon where we once again encountered the big white monster. Since there was nothing else to do and we were running out of time, we kept driving. We drove 17 miles through thick, oppressive, blinding, whiteness.

Finally, as we headed toward Lamoine, we left the fog and spotted the first raptor of the day, a Rough-legged Hawk (RLHA)!

“We’re on the board!”

As we headed north toward the McNeil Canyon Road and turned east on the paved road, we thought we were home free! Well… not exactly. We leave the paved road and embark on what is locally known as Mud Springs Road. Now we are in the middle of a mucky, wet, fishtailing, gravel road. I do believe there’s a reason they call it Mud Springs Road! As we approach Division we are supposed to turn left and head up toward Dyer Hill. One look at that road and we knew we’d have to make a detour.

We consult the map and decide we will drive one mile south and then backtrack up to the other end of the road we can’t get through. We’ll see how far we can go. So we drive an extra 11 miles and eliminate 4 miles of mud. 

In all that backtracking and circumventing, we pick up one more (RLHA).

Once we get back to Highway 172 and head west and south again, we pick up three more RLHAs, a couple Northern Kestrels, a Red-tailed Hawk, and even one Golden Eagle!

From Withrow we head west on Rd 8 NW and pick up four more RLHAs! Yippee! 

The route turns south on Rd F NW and once again we encounter mud.  This mud doesn’t look as deep or as treacherous as the last road, so I decide to give it a try. We drive a couple hundred feet and the road is squishy, mucky and we are fishtailing. I stop and look at the map and see how many miles we have to go on this road.  Five, and then we turn into another unpaved, gravel road for five more! I decide THAT’S not going to work!

So it’s time to turn around.  In the muck, and the squish, with soft shoulders! No three-point turns here! It was more like a 10 point turn with a little fishtailing and a lot of four-wheel-drive maneuvering. But we escaped!

So that little maneuver involved a 13 mile detour and an elimination of 10 miles of mud. We made it to the end of the route without getting stuck in the mud or getting blinded by the bright white fog. 

However, I don’t know that I would go as far as to say that, “The third time’s the charm.“

Today’s Survey:

Red-tailed Hawk (RTHA) 1
American Kestrel (AMKE) 2
Golden Eagle (GOEA) 1
Rough-legged Hawk (RLHA) 11
Unidentified Buteo 1 (Too far away to determine)

A Case of Mistaken Identity

We decided that January was the month we would find our Gyrfalcon. In the past five years we have spotted a GYRF five times, three times in January and twice in November. We hadn’t seen one this year, so we decided that it was time!

As we drove our survey route, all the time hoping for a GYRF, we saw a wide variety of other raptors and wildlife. The road leading to Penny Lake has yielded coyotes before and it did not disappoint today! Two beautiful specimens were running across the field, heading west. I would’ve loved to have gotten a photo of them, but my big lens is in the repair shop. So any photos I take will be on another day. 

The Penny Lake road always has at least one visitor, sometimes several. Today it had only one, an American Kestrel. We could have called this survey, “The Day of the Kestrel,” as the entire day yielded a total of ten American Kestrels, a survey high for us.

As we continued on our survey route we picked up a few other birds of prey. The Prairie Falcon that lives just east of Mansfield made an appearance. We wove our way down Mary Jane Hill to the East Foster Creek valley and to Terry Hayes Road. Terry Hayes usually produces a wealth of interesting creatures. But today, no one was home. The Great Horned Owl was not in its tree, the porcupines had not returned, and the Golden Eagle we frequently see above the basalt was not there.

As we headed east, through Leahy Junction, south to Simms Corner, and west, we picked up a respectable seven birds: two Red-tailed Hawks, three American Kestrels, one Rough-legged Hawk and one sub-adult Bald Eagle.

And then we turned north from Highway 172 – Gyrfalcon territory! This is an area where we have spotted three Gyrfalcons in years past. Our hopes were high! We had our eyes peeled! We did see one Rough-legged Hawk sitting on a rock pile, but we were on the hunt for a Gyr!

And then, a couple miles north of the highway, there it was! I braked to a stop in the middle of the road (you can do that up there in the middle of nowhere, on the Waterville plateau). 

“What do you see?”

“There on that rock pile!  What is that?”  Three pair of binoculars lift to three pair of eyes to examine the bird, who is quite a distance away.

“It’s really big! Is it a PRFA (Prairie Falcon)?”

“That’s bigger than any PRFA I’ve ever seen!”

“Maybe it’s a GYRF! Maybe we found our GYRF!”  We spent several minutes looking, squinting, discussing what we were looking at.

“It’s the right color.  It’s the right shape. Can’t really see the facial markings.“

“And, it’s really big.”

Since neither Amanda nor I had our cameras, I turned to Don in the backseat. “Can you snap a picture?” But, he is already lifting his camera. We look at the tiny image on the LCD screen, but it’s too small to really tell. We know we’ll have to put it on a computer screen and enlarge it to really see what we’ve got. But we’re hopeful… Maybe we found our GYRF… 

We backtrack to Highway 172 and head west to Mansfield. We drive around in town looking for the Merlin, but he is hiding. We then head south toward the north end of Jameson Lake. This road usually has quite a few inhabitants, and is the second place where we have seen a Gyrfalcon in the past. Today there is no GYRF sitting on power pole.  However, we did pick up four Red-tails, six Kestrels, and four Rough-leggeds.

Post Survey: The picture on Don‘s camera revealed a Prairie Falcon. We all agreed it looked very large for a Prairie Falcon. Maybe it was wishful thinking that made it appear so big. But, it really did look that big!  I sent the photo for confirmation to an Audubon friend who is a wildlife biologist. Secretly, I was still hoping it might be a GYRF. But no such a luck. She said because it was large it could have been a female and puffed up against the cold.  

So… We’ll wait for February. Maybe in February we’ll also see a Snowy Owl. We haven’t seen one of those yet this year, either.

Today’s Survey:

Red-tailed Hawk (RTHA) 6
American Kestrel (AMKE) 10
Northern Harrier (NOHA) 2
Bald Eagle – Sub-Adult (BAEA) 1
Rough-legged Hawk (RLHA) 9
Prairie Falcon (PRFA) 2

Coyotes  2
Mule deer  2

The North Central Washington Audubon Society’s Hummingbird Survey was created to gather data to show the presence and timing of hummingbirds in North Central Washington. The organizers had questions about year-round presence and where the birds were located. They also observed that published Anna’s Hummingbird range maps didn’t match what was known to be true – the birds are here year-round, and they are successfully breeding here. 

The survey leaders looked into how to use existing knowledge and photo/video proof to facilitate the needed updates to published range maps and species descriptions. When they asked various authorities how to do this, they consistently heard “get your data into eBird”. This is where the NCWAS Hummingbird Survey came in. 

Quick summary:  IT WORKED!

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology recently released new range maps on their “eBird Status and Trends” website. The Anna’s Hummingbird is among the many bird species included in this work. The maps show two very important things: (1) Anna’s are present in North Central Washington year-round, and (2) they are successfully breeding here. These maps result from an analysis of eBird data.  

The data submitted to eBird as part of the NCWAS survey contributed to the successful revision of the Anna’s Hummingbird range map to show what we know to be true. The new maps are a great step forward in our understanding of Anna’s across their entire range and locally.

Have you ever wondered about the “where” and “when” of Anna’s in Washington State. A summary paper showing maps and charts of state-wide Anna’s over time is now available (click here to view and download).  The paper consolidates the eBird data along with data collected through the Christmas Bird Count and Cornell’s NestWatch program. Over 250 email entries to the Tweeters listserv were inspected for mentions of Anna’s over time.  Data in the Breeding Bird Survey and published literature are also included in the report.

The report is a PDF file that can be opened and viewed in Adobe Acrobat or other PDF viewers.  Viewing the PDF allows you to zoom in and out for close inspection of details. Using the PDF format also allows the use color to enhance the content.  The PDF file is sized at 8.5 x 11 inches to allow printing if you want a hard copy.

Please let us know if you have new information to share about Anna’s Hummingbirds in Washington State or if you have any questions about the report.

Happy Birding!

The Douglas County Raptor Convention

The first thing we do in the morning, when embarking on a new survey, is to check the weather on the WSDOT traffic cameras up on the Waterville plateau. If the camera shows that everything is totally enveloped in fog, then we abort our plans for doing a survey that day. You can’t see very many birds in dense fog. 

At present, there are only two cameras that cover any of our routes, one on the south end of Waterville (looking west) and the other at the Waterville airport. There is an additional camera at Simms corner (SR 17 and SR 172), but it has not been working for about three years. I have written three separate emails to WSDOT explaining our use of the camera and asking if someone could repair it. I don’t think it is very high on their priority list. I have mentioned in previous blogs about times we have headed out to do a survey, and got up on the plateau and had to turn around because of the heavy, heavy fog.

But today… 

Today, there was some heavy fog at the very top of Badger Mountain, but as we dropped down the other side towards Waterville things cleared up. There were heavy clouds very high overhead, but we could see for miles and miles.  The sun was peeking through a break in the clouds in the east. We knew visibility would be just fine.

We were encouraged when the very beginning of our route yielded three American Kestrels (AMKE), one Northern Harrier (NOHA) and one Rough-legged Hawk (RLHA)! However, our route then takes a big loop, going south from Highway 2, then west to almost the edge of Moses Coulee and turning north again back to Highway 2.  On that loop we saw nothing.

We continued east to the area of Atkins Lake (which is a non-lake at present), ending up around the area where we normally see the Snowy Owls. They aren’t here yet. We usually don’t see them until January.

Leaving the Atkins Lake area, we ventured north towards Saint Andrews and west to Saint Andrews Lake and the Vernal Ponds. This year Saint Andrews Lake is very small and the Vernal Ponds are non-existent. We are hoping that coming years will bring more snow so that those flooded fields return. They have a huge assortment of waterfowl in the spring and summer when there is water present.

But, back to the winter raptors…

We decided there must have been a winter gathering of all of the avian hunters. As we headed north we saw four raptors on a short side road, an AMKE, a NOHA, a RLHA and a Bald Eagle (BAEA).

As we headed north to the Saint Andrews intersection, we had to be careful that we were counting individuals and not double counting! The next road produced three raptors, the next road one, and the next road two.

When we got to the intersection by Saint Andrews Lake it was almost like they were exploding out of the woodwork! Between there and around the corner to the Vernal Ponds we kept counting and recounting to make sure we were not counting the same bird twice! 

“There’s a NOHA!”

“No, we already counted that one.”

“No, there’s the first one, this is another!”

“There’s a Roughy (our shorthand speak for a RLHA). There’s another!”

“There are two more over here!”

We couldn’t believe it! In a short stretch of road (about 3 miles) we counted one RTHA,  five NOHAs, another BAEA and EIGHT RLHAs. We decided the Raptors were having a convention in the Saint Andrews area.

We then headed east and went to the east side of SR 17.  As we turned the corner at Mold we could see a bird perched in the top of a tree next to the old abandoned house. We weren’t sure if it was a Prairie Falcon or a Merlin at that distance. Amanda got out and started walking up with her camera while I waited back in the car. She was able to get pretty close to it and identify it as a Merlin before it took off. 

One enjoyable aspect of driving these survey routes is that you get to meet some of the people who live along the route. When we left the house at Mold, we drove the rest of the way on that road, which dead ends at a farmer’s house. We’ve talked to him before and explained about our surveys. He’s always very friendly. Today, as we headed in to his road, he was heading out, so we both stopped and rolled down our windows.

Smiling, he said, “Well, it looks like it’s that time of year again, isn’t it?” 

So, we reiterated that he would be seeing us once a month, November through March. He asked us if we had seen any Sage Grouse, to which we replied that we had never seen Sage Grouse on our winter survey routes. He then began to tell us all about his participation in gathering data for Sage Grouse conservation efforts. It was really interesting and encouraging to hear this farmer talk about restoring habitat and Sage Grouse populations in the area.

We kept on driving our route, picking up an RTHA here, a NOHA here, and an RLHA there until we got to the end. Other creatures of interest were 16 Mule Deer and two Northern Shrikes. A very satisfactory day and survey!

Today’s Survey:

Red-tailed Hawk (RTHA) 3
American Kestrel (AMKE) 8
Northern Harrier (NOHA) 11
Bald Eagle – Adult (BAEA) 2
Rough-legged Hawk (RLHA) 18
Merlin (MERL) 1

From Bruce McCammon and the entire North Central Washington Audubon Society board –

The North Central Washington Audubon Society board members agree that preparing and distributing each issue of the Wild Phlox newsletter is one of the most valuable things we do. Our sincere thanks go to all who contribute content, our current and past editors, and the volunteers who gather to fold, tape, label, and mail each issue.

Receiving a random “Thank You” note that references a Phlox article is always a treat. When such a note explains how birds have touched lives, we celebrate. Such a note recently arrived and, with the author’s permission, is reproduced below. The photos that were attached to the email note are also used with permission.

The author, Mary Watson (Manson, WA) describes how her ten-year-old granddaughter, Tiegen, delighted in watching an Anna’s hummingbird nest and raise its young. We hope that the drawing Tiegen produced will add to her lifelong appreciation of birds and nature.

Surely, this nest was a gift to the Watson family. Mary’s note, photos, and Tiegen’s drawing are a gift to us all.

Migration Settles In

We tried to drive the Mansfield survey route earlier in the week. However, we got as far as Withrow and had to turn around, skunked out by the fog. It’s just about impossible to count raptors when you can’t even see 20 feet in front of your vehicle. We knew we would have to come back another day and drive that route. 

This morning Amanda and I both had items on our schedule. But the sun was shining! It looked like a great day! So, Amanda called me at 9 AM and said, “Do you want to run out and do a survey?“  It was a little late to get started, but we decided to give it a go. We stopped at a gas station to fill up the car, ran in the grocery store to get something for lunch, and headed north. We didn’t take our cameras because we had such a late start. Also, my big lens was having focus problems and isn’t repaired yet.

We stopped at the starting point to our route to write down the time, temperature, and weather conditions. Immediately, we looked up and saw a subadult Bald Eagle (we thought a three-year-old) and an American Kestrel. What a great way to start a survey!

As we headed down the road toward Penny Lake, we encountered two American Kestrels. The lake is starting to freeze over now and there was no waterfowl to be found.

As we headed through Mansfield the first time (we drive through town three times on this survey) we looked for the resident Merlin, but did not see it. Heading from Mansfield north, through Mary Jane Hill, and down into the Foster Creek drainage, we picked up a couple Rough-legged Hawks and another American Kestrel

We turned onto Terry Hayes Road, a little treasure of 3 1/2 miles. That road always has something interesting. But not today. No eagles, no hawks, no porcupines. Even the resident Great Horned Owl didn’t show its face. Maybe next month…

Heading down Highway 17, towards Simms corner, the usual suspects showed up… no one. That road is so busy we very rarely see any birds along it. We did see one Rough-legged Hawk.

We then covered the territory going west towards Mansfield and south to the north end of Jameson Lake. We looked for the Merlin again as we drove through Mansfield, but did not spot it. However, between leaving Simms corner and arriving at the north end of Jameson Lake, we spotted four Rough-legged Hawks, nine Red-tailed Hawks, one Northern Harrier and a Prairie Falcon.

Returning back from the lake, we drove through the town of Mansfield for the third time. And there, flying away from the school, across the road, right in front of us, was the Merlin! Merlin was the last sighting of the day and a great way to end the survey!

At the end of our survey route we headed home. As we were coming down the west side of Badger Mountain, the sun sank behind the hills and we arrived back home in the middle of blue hour.

Today’s Survey:

Red-tailed Hawk 9
American Kestrel 6
Northern Harrier 1
Bald Eagle (3 year old sub-adult)
Rough-legged Hawk 7
Prairie Falcon 1
Merlin 1