Hi Tweets ,Well, rumors of winter finally arriving east of the mts were not totally accurate. Our Thursday am drive over Stevens was uneventful. It seems the TV hype of awful conditions kept the traffic down to the point where, yeh, it was snowing and slippery but with no traffic ya just keep going and all's well. No snow anywhere after Leavenworth. We went up 97 to Pateros and were amazed at how few birds there were on the Col. R?!? Also, very few birds on the backwatered Methow R. mouth?? We later decided it might be because so many smaller ponds and lakes in the area are not frozen. Only FOYs for the day were BB Magpie and Wild Turkey. Evening in outer Twisp. We woke up Friday morning to about 6 inches of fluffy white and after a real nice breakfast decided to head up through Winthrop to the Chewuck River and see how far we could get. Most birds we saw along the road quickly disappeared into snowy brush but we strongly suspected most were Juncos. Not much else to be seen (other than Robins and Ravens) until, FINALLY, on West Chewuck Rd. heading back towards Winthrop, a couple of large pines held a bunch of Cassin's Finches and Evening Grosbeaks - nice FOY! After a fine dinner(?) at one of the remarkably few restaurants in the greater Wintrop/Twisp axis, as we approached our lodge, a big owl flew up from the road side and perched in a big C-wood - a Great-horned for another FOY!This morn in Twisp was chilly, but sunny. We went down the Methow and up river to Washburn Is. where we were also amazed at the dearth of ducks (lots of coot though). In stead of hoped-for winter sparrows, we found (FOY) Violet-green Swallows and Says Phoebes. At the Monse Boat Launch, a few sparrows about but only Songs would sit up to be seen. Surely, snow, and the associated winter birds, would be up Cameron Lk. Road. Well, a little snow on the southern Timentwa Plateau but none to the north (!?!). Yeah, there were Horned Larks but no Snow Buntings and no Gray Partridge. The several ponds were unfrozen and this is where all the ducks are!! Also, about 40 Sandhill Cranes at the first big pond by the first big farmhouse. Timentwa Rd. ponds were also ducky but NO birds with the cows where historically there have been Snow Buntings, pipets, Gray Partridge etc. I guess with no snow about, they're just all happy out and about. Just north of Timentwa Rd, at the Am. Tree Sparrow place, I managed to briefly coax one up for a quick look and a nice Great Horned popped into view in some thick brush. That's it for now. Heading for the Highlands tomorrow. Maybe there's some winter up there!?! Happy Birding - Jon Houghton, Edmonds Sent from my Galaxy_______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing list <Tweeters...> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
