Date: 3/15/26 9:25 pm From: jonbirder via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Confrmed - OK Co. is winter free!
Hi Tweets - Well, this was it! After a snow free day on the Timentwa Plateau yesterday, today was the day we finally get up into some of that snow we've been hearing about in the greater Havilla/Chesaw/Molson (urban?) area. The hills looked remarkably brown along both sides of 97, but surely as we ascended...Nope. Fancher Flats was totally snow free but littered with way more baby blacks (Angus) than we've ever seen before!! Seems like all of the 1000 +/- cattle on the flats had just (or were about to) give berth. This was, of course, really good news for the many ravens and magpies in attendance, as well as for at least 3 Golden and 7 Bald eagles we saw about the area. The absence of snow meant that the local Chukar population was well up on the cliff side and could be heard but not seen. From the flats, we headed up Siwash Cr. road knowing full well that no snow means no Sharp-tails. Yup. That's what it means. Also, not much else (BC Chickadees and RB Nuthatches are Edmonds yard birds). Not till well after the turn onto No. Siwash Cr. Rd. and into some pretty mature ponderosa/Engleman forest, did my repeated pygmy owl tooting generate a proper mob scene that included 3 spp. of Nuthatch, Mtn. Chickadee, and Pine Siskins: 4 nice FOY. Back out on Havilla Rd. nothing much there or up at the Sno park (1-inch base) where I heard a distant sapsucker drumming but, with my aging ears, couldn't tell which way to go to chase it down. (30 degrees and quite breezy there). The first farm above the Havilla church had its usual flock of Gray Partridge that flew off into a hidden gully as soon as we arrived, but did provide the last FOY of the day. From there on - to and through Chesaw, Bolster, and Molson, the only real excitement was a couple of flocks of siskins along MaryAnn Cr. in which I could find no redpolls. Also interesting was seeing Says Phoebe and Mtn. Bluebirds repeatedly throughout the Highlands. I guess that means (despite this funny white stuff we hear may have fallen in or near Seattle!?!) it really isn't winter any more, if it ever was. So sad. Well, we'll drive home over the Waterville Plateau tomorrow but don't have a lot of hope for great birds. Maybe a cute owl at Bridgeport SP?? Happy birding! - Jon Houghton, Edmonds Sent from my Galaxy_______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing list <Tweeters...> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
