Date: 1/21/26 2:17 pm From: Eric Crockett via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Okanogan Birding
On Friday 1/16, myself and two friends departed for Okanogan County. On the
way, we birded a bit along the Columbia River, where we picked up a few
ducks, many coots, and a surprise Townsend’s solitaire at the Starr Boat
Launch. We ended the day at Washburn Island, where we added Brewer’s
blackbird, American tree sparrow, and trumpeter swan. At dusk we set out
for Twisp to do some owling along NF-44. We didn’t get any owls, but it was
a moonless, cloudless night and the stargazing was worth the drive.
On Saturday, we started before dawn at Scotch Creek Wildlife Area. There
was no snow on the ground, and therefore no Sharp-Tailed Grouse (STGR) in
the trees, nor much of anything else. Driving up US 97, there were many
apples left in the orchards, but no birds talking advantage of them. At
Fancher Flats, we found a gorgeous Golden Eagle and a (single, heard-only)
chukar. We dipped on STGR again on Siwash Creek Rd, but ran into a small
group of cooperative Clark’s Nutcrackers. We had lunch at the Nealy Rd
feeders, but we didn’t observe any feeders (or birds). On the east end of
Mary Ann Creek Rd, we found a mixed flock of red crossbills and pine
siskins enjoying a dust bath in some dry dirt. Mary Ann Creek Rd and Molson
turned up very few birds. Back to Siwash Creek for another STGR run:
nothing. We ended the day with owling on Davies Rd, which yielded another
group of birders and a great horned owl duet.
On Sunday, we started in Winthrop. The town had several groups of turkeys
and a dipper in the river, but not much else in the cemetery and Pearrygin
SP. We did (finally!) find a northern shrike near Sun Mountain Lodge.
Next up was Cameron Lake Rd, which unfortunately was not birdy at all. As
usual, we got a wide variety of ducks on the south end overlooking the
Columbia River. Our final stop was Bridgeport SP where we got saw-whet owl.
Driving home through the Waterville Plateau, we noted a short-eared owl.
Species with high counts include red-tailed hawk (20), rough-legged hawk
(7), turkey (87), kestrel (20+), and red crossbill (heard at most stops).
I’ve done this trip several times now (in February), all of which have
produced birds that made the trip worthwhile. That wasn't the case this
time. There were *long* stretches with no birds at all, and we missed
essentially all of our targets, including redpoll, Bohemian waxwing,
mountain chickadee, yellow-billed loon, great gray owl, snowy owl, northern
pygmy owl, long-eared owl, sharp-tailed grouse, ruffed grouse, gray
partridge, pheasant, white-winged crossbill, pine grosbeak, white-headed
woodpecker, goshawk, gyrfalcon, snow bunting, and gray-crowned rosy-finch.
I’ll grant that some of those are a bit fanciful, but getting at least a
few is why I bird in Okanogan! This time, the highlights were the company,
the stargazing, and the views of a socked-in Havillah and Eden Valley from
high up on Davies Rd at sunset.
