Birding Beats the Winter Blues

I think most experts agree that the best way to beat the winter blues in Northeast Washington is to get out in the daylight and fresh air. And I'm pretty sure the very best way to do it is birding. Yes, winter birding can be the best! This is the one time of year when rare or uncommon migrants from the arctic and northern boreal forests settle  in to enjoy our "mild" winters. And sometimes it can be some of our local birds that spend most of the year in high mountain elevations, but move to lower elevations to find food.

                                     Varied Thrush eating berries in Kettle Falls

Pine Grosbeaks, American Tree Sparrows, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Shrikes. Rough-legged Hawks, Tundra and Trumpeter Swans, Common Loons, Barrow's Goldeneyes, and others starts showing up to hunker down for the toughest time of year. Some years bring unexpected mass appearances of nomadic Common Redpolls and White-winged Crossbills. If we're really lucky we might be graced by a Snowy Owl.

                                      Male House Finch on a snowy day

Winter is also a great time to set up your bird feeders to attract our hardy locals that stick around. Black-capped and Mountain Chickadee, House Finch, American Goldfinch, California Quail, Pine Siskin,  Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatch. Even Eurasian Collard Dove and Mourning Dove. What better way to beat winter than to help birds pass through nature's bottleneck and emerge victorious in the spring.

                                      Canada Geese are common winter residents in Northeast WA

Winter birding with friends can also be the best as it gets us out of the house and interacting with friends. It can be informal and adventurous. How can it be better than that? Well, it can. What if your winter mental health therapy also contributed to citizen science efforts? Sound interesting?

                                 American Robin eating the last berries on a tree in late winter


Here's what's on tap for this winter and how you can participate.

October 12th - Northeast Washington Birders Meeting
                        1-3 pm Kettle Falls Library Community Room
                        Learn about winter birding citizen science opportunities, meet other local birders

November  - Winter Raptor Surveys
                      5 different routes will be available, covering the Kettle Falls, Colville and Chewelah
                      areas. This project has expanded into our area this winter and Northeast Washington
                      Birders is the local coordinating group.

December -  Colville Christmas Bird Count
                     Chewelah Christmas Bird Count
                     Winter Raptor Survey Routes (5)

January -    Winter Raptor Survey Routes (5)
                    Little Pend Oreille NWR Winter Bird Count

February - Winter Raptor Survey Routes (5)

March -     Winter Raptor Survey Routes (5)


So get your bird feeders in shape. Break out the winter clothing and thermos. Join us in citizen science projects. Remember that birding is your best therapy to beat those winter blues!


Good Birding

            - Hawkeye

Hot Date at the Sewage Treatment Ponds

"Where're you going birding this morning, honey?", asked my wife.

"Well," I replied, "it's August and the birding is kind of dead right now until the fall migration begins. But I've got a real hot spot in mind. Wanna come along?"

My wife is great. She indulges my birding habit. Even to the point you might call it encouragement. I'm a lucky guy. I often try to get her to come along but rarely get a positive response. When I'm on the birds I'm more focused on them and less on the conversation in the pickup. So, naturally, it's not on the top of her list of fun times.

But this time, to my surprise, and then chagrin, she said, "Sure! Where're we goin'?"

"Well, you see, its not really a great scenic location," I stammered. "No great views, or majestic forests, or that kind of thing."

"OK. Let's go and you can surprise me. You said it was a birding hotspot and I want to see it."

"Yes, of course, dear."

The drive was only 10 or 12 minutes and when I pulled up to a chain link fence and gates off of a dead end gravel road my wife was looking at me. Mild disbelief and traces of doubt were in her eyes. Was this a joke, a spoof or prank? The "You're pulling my leg" kind of look. We got out of the pickup and walked through the unlocked gate, left  slightly open to allow local birders to enter that most reliable sanctuary of migrating birds, the city sewage treatment ponds.

"You really know how to show a girl a good time," she quipped.

"Only the best for you, my love," I crooned back.

Municipal sewage treatment ponds (STPs in birder jargon) are great for finding migrating birds for a couple of reasons. There is abundant, relatively clean, water and often shallow water, cattails and bulrushes, and mud flats in some of the ponds. These are especially attractive to migrating shorebirds and waterfowl. Birds that breed on the northern tundra and boreal forests of Canada and Alaska make their way south on long migrations and need stopover places that offer food and cover. STPs are usually surrounded by high chain link fences and are generally free of human and predator disturbance. Plus, nobody hunts ducks that are feeding on, well, stuff we flush or put down storm drains.

We weren't disappointed. The shorebirds and marsh birds were abundant and in a photogenic mood. We had great views of Sandpipers: Solitary, Stilt, Baird's and Spotted. Greater Yellowlegs strutted through the shallows chasing elusive prey. A sneaky Semipalmated Plover was found hiding among the abundant Killdeer. Sora and young Virginia Rails were popping in and out of the bulrushes. Young Common Yellowthroats darted through the cattails, inspecting the two-legged intruders. Several species of waterfowl in eclipse plumage loafed along the tops of the pond embankments. Quail and Eurasian Collared  Doves flew and ran along the fence line. Song sparrows and Brewer's blackbirds flitted about. We noted 22 species in all during that magical hour of togetherness.

Yes, I did spring for lunch and some uninterrupted one-on-one time with my beloved. I doubt she will be so quick to jump at my next birding invitation. At least until she learns more details on the exact location.

Here's a few pics from a recent STP trip.

                                    Baird's Sandpipers

                                   A juvenile Common Yellowthroat

                                   Lesser Yellowlegs

                                   The sneaky Semipalmated Plover hiding behind a Killdeer

                                   Spotted Sandpipers are often seen among the rocks

                                   A Sora edges out from terh cattails to feed

                                    Appears to be a Stilt Sandpiper

                                   A good grouping of Stilt Sandpipers

                                   A young Virginia Rail stalking among the cattails and bulrushes


So, impress your significant other, and treat them to a hot date at your local STP! You'll thank me for it later. {wink} {wink}

Good Birding!

        - Hawkeye

The Unique Common Loon

There is nothing "common" about loons. Even the human variety are uniquely distinct from the ordinary (ha ha). We are fortunate to have the opportunity to see the Common Loon, both during the breeding season on our mountain lakes, and in the winter on Lake Roosevelt.

Breeding loons can be seen at such places as the Little Pend Oreille Lakes, Big Meadow Lake, and Pierre Lake. These normally shy diving birds apparently have made peace with the active summer recerationalists (just made that word up) on these water bodies. The birds are expert anglers and undoubtedly do better than most of the two-legged kind.

                               Adult Common Loons, with leg bands,, Pierre Lake, Stevens Co., WA

                 Adult Common Loon, photo courtesy the Macaulay Library, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

If you want to take a good respectful look at the Common Loon try the north end of Pierre Lake. There is a turn out area at the very north end where you can safely pull off. Walk a short distance back toward the Forest Service camp ground and watch for the marvelous birds. And watch out for cars and trucks! . On a recent visit there I spotted three adults and one juvenile (hatched this year). With a good pair of binoculars or a spotting scope, you may be able to see leg bands on the adults;  a silver one above a green one on one of the legs. Do you see them in the top photo above?

In the early winter it is common to see adult and immature Common Loons in Lake Roosevelt, especially at the mouth of the Colville River, off of the Colville Flats and in and around Haag Cove in Ferry County. The adults in non-breeding plumage look a lot like immature Common Loons. Their larger body size and stouter bills distinguish them from Western Grebes, Horned Grebes, and Red-necked Grebes, also wintering in our area,

There are only five living species of loon worldwide and they are the only members of their own Order Gaviiformes ,and Family, the Gaviidae, with one Genus, Gavia. The Common Loon is by far the most common (duh), and we sometimes get a rare fall/winter sighting of a  Red-throated Loon, and very rarely a Pacific Loon.

Below are images of  three loon species in non-breeding/immature plumage for comparison. All photos below are courtesy the Macaulay Library, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Top: Common Loon, Middle: Pacific Loon, Bottom: Red-throated Loon.

For comparison, here are photos of non-breeding , Top:Western Grebe,  Middle:Red-necked Grebe and Bottom:Horned Grebe .

I hope you get the change to see a Common Loon this summer. If not, check out the hot spots I mentioned for winter viewing.

Good Birding!
       
           - Hawkeye

Grosbeaks - Not Really So Gross!

A dumb play on words, I know. We are fortunate to commonly see three species of grosbeak in Northeast Washington territory. Rarely, there is a fourth grosbeak that sneaks over the Rocky Mtns. and is spotted on occasion.  These seed-chompers are large and very colorful additions to our local fauna.

Two of the grosbeak species are members of the Finch family, Fringillidae. These are the Evening Grosbeak and Pine Grosbeak. The large yellow, white and black Evening Grosbeak is frequently seen at feeders featuring sunflower seeds. They travel in flocks and often dominate the scene. Evening Grosbeaks are prone to wander following food sources that are abundant and may disappear entirely for some time. These large finches do not really have a song. You often hear a high trilling or buzzy chirp, but no song like a House Finch.

                                          Male Evening Grosbeak
                                          Photo courtesy the Cornell Lab of Ornithology 

Our other local finch grosbeak is the Pine Grosbeak. This winter specialist visits our area in mid-winter, travelling south from their Canadian breeding grounds. This rosy-pink gem is a sight to see on a snow covered branch. These birds are not really fond of feeders, but do visit larger platforms or hoppers that are stocked with black-oil sunflower seeds or shelled sunflower seeds. Frequently seen perched at the tops of trees, sometimes foraging on the ground, these are special birds to see anytime.

                                         Male Pine Grosbeak
                                          Photo courtesy the Cornell Lab of Ornithology 

The third common grosbeak is not a finch, but rather a member of the Cardinal family, Cardinalidae. The Black-headed Grosbeak is a summer visitor, often showing up later than earlier spring migrants. At first glance one might think they have seen an Oriole. But closer examination will reveal the stout beak of a grosbeak. Orange-ish-brown and black with white wing bars, these large birds have a song reminiscent of an American Robin. The song is a little higher, more melodic and longer in duration.  Where they winter in Mexico they sometimes share habitat with Monarch Butterflies. Normally toxic to many bird predators, the Monarch is sometimes the prey of Black-headed Grosbeak. Researchers have noted that the Black-headed Grosbeak will feed on Monarchs in roughly 8-day cycles, perhaps to give themselves time to metabolize the toxin and never succumbing to it.

                                          Male Black-headed Grosbeak.
                                          Photo courtesy the Cornell Lab of Ornithology 

A fourth, rare, visitor to Northeast Washington is the Rose-breasted Grosbeak. It seems at least once each year one of these striking relatives of the Black-headed Grosbeak will be seen in the Spokane area. Normally residing east of the Rocky Mtns, the Rose-breasted Grosbeak has a song similar to the Black-headed and is famous for its lovely melodic refrains. Don't count on seeing one, but if you hear of one it might be worth the trip to add it to your life list!

                                          Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak
                                          Photo courtesy the Cornell Lab of Ornithology 

I hope you have the chance to enjoy these large and colorful birds at a feeder, or forest, near you!

Good Birding!

                -Hawkeye

Nessy, Sasquatch, and the Flammulated Owl

Sketchy descriptions, grainy photographs, legends and tales. These are the hallmarks of iconic figures of cryptozoology, such as the Loch Ness monster and our local favorite, the Sasquatch. I have a couple of birds that have been personal nemesis, seemingly as mysterious as the legendary serpent and  ape-man of lore. Sometimes, I have wondered if these birds really exist, or that they may just  be some long standing joke among professional and amateur ornithologists.

                     
                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                   
One such bird is the Flammulated Owl. This tiny owl (barely 6-inches tall) is rarely ever seen during the daytime. Most often, birders only get to hear the low monotone hoot of the male owl, long after sundown. The trachea of this tiny owl is larger than might be expected, allowing the hoot to sound like a much larger bird. A pretty handy bluff when you are not much bigger than a small juice can.

                                                             Flammulated Owl
                                             Photo courtesy the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

In our area, Flamms (as they are known by all the cool birders) might be found in open Ponderosa Pine and Douglas-fir stands on south facing slopes. Last week I was part of group that went out looking for Flamms on the Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge. Guided by refuge biologist, Mike Munts, we indeed did hear a male Flamm hooting. AND, in response, we heard a female calling back. A Life Bird for me! They do exist and are significantly easier to find than Nessy or Bigfoot.

Flammulated owls depend on large nest cavities created by large woodpeckers, such as the Pileated Woodpecker. Pileateds need to find large snags to excavate in order to create nests big enough for them. Thus, Flammualted Owls seek out large diameter pine forests to nest and forage. They specialize in hunting moths and large insects near the tops of these large conifer.

Little is known about this highly nocturnal migratory bird. They winter in Mexico and Central America and summer in the pine forests of the Rocky Mountains, Cascades and southern British Columbia. If you go searching for Flamms be sure to plan on being the woods well after sundown (after 10 PM). Scout for stands of large diameter Ponderosa Pines on south facing slopes. Become familiar with the call by listening to recordings on birding web pages like the  All About Birds page developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Be patient, listen to all of the night sounds. And see if you can add the Flamm to your Life List.

Good Birding!

          - Hawkeye

The Woodpecker that Doesn't (peck wood)

How about a woodpecker that doesn't really like to peck wood? And instead of drilling into tree trunks looking for grubs it prefers to feed on flying insects?  Well, we have such a bird in our Northeast Washington neighborhood.

During the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804-1806 the Corps of Discovery encountered and cataloged hundreds of animal and plant species never before seen by European naturalists. Native Americans had already seen, named, and understood these species for centuries. The leader of of the expedition, Meriwether Lewis, had received training in natural history prior to departure. He documented each new species they encountered and many specimens were brought back with them on their return. Naturalists began cataloging and giving their own names to these "new" species.

One of the new species was a bird of the northern Rockies that was obviously a woodpecker. It was named the Lewis's Woodpecker. It is easily identified by its dark, oily green back, rosy pink belly and gray collar.

Lewis's Woodpecker on Bisbee Mtn., May 25, 2019

Lewis's woodpecker is a little different in that it generally does not excavate it's own cavity in trees. It prefers, instead, to use holes already excavated by other woodpeckers, or natural cavities in older, decaying trees. The Lewis's woodpecker will use its substantial beak to tidy up and fine tune the cavity to its liking.

Another unusual behavior for a woodpecker is its preference for catching flying insects instead of finding grubs under bark and in decaying wood. It can be observed flying out from a perch, perform aerial acrobatics to catch flying insect prey, and returning to its perch. This is very much like the various Flycatchers and Bluebirds we can see in our area.

A third distinctive is the way it often perches. In the photo above you can see the Lewis's Woodpecker perched perpendicular to the tree branch - not clinging vertically to a tree trunk. Lewis's woodpeckers can and do climb tree trunks vertically like other woodpeckers. But unlike its cousins, it can generally be seen perched on top of a branch, snag or utility pole.

Flying Lewis's Woodpecker. Photo courtesy Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Keep an eye out for Lewis's Woodpeckers in  open pine forests and also in aspen and cottonwoods near streams.

Good Birding,

      - Hawkeye

Bobolinks...Yeah, They're a Real thing

Bobolink. Yes, there is such bird and it lives and breeds in the broad valley floors of the Colville and Pend Oreille Rivers. The Bobolink winters far away in South America and returns to North America to breed. The round trip can be as long as 12,500 miles!! One of the longest migrations of any song bird on the planet. During its lifespan it will have flown far enough to circle the globe 4-5 times.
                       

 Male Bobolink. Photo courtesy the Macauley Library, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The Bobolink is a member of the Icteridae family which includes all of the blackbirds, orioles and meadowlarks. They specialize eating weed seeds, insect larvae, adult insects, spiders and other arachnids.

In Northeast Washington they can be found in the valley floors of the Colville River and Pend Oreille River. It seems to favor large fields of grass, including natural areas, hay fields, and pastures. They prefer to place their nest on moist ground at the base of large non-woody plants (think of the wet meadows in our river valleys). I myself have seem them north of Deep Lake in the Leadpoint area and south of Chewelah along Newton Lane.

Bobolink  sightings as reported in eBird,. Courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.


Bobolink songs and calls are very unique and probably the best way to locate this grassland bird. Officially described as a "metallic, bubbly, rambling song with a mixture of sharp, high notes and buzzy low pitches," I think of a Yellow-headed Blackbird that has swallowed a Song Sparrow.

Many birds have songs and calls that are almost other worldly. Locally we have some real masters of  the bizarre sound. You may have thought you heard running, bubbling water, only to find out it was a a raucous flock of Brown-headed Cowbirds calling.

Photo Courtesy of the Macauley Library, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Listen to their Flock Calls here:
Brown-headed Cowbirds sounds

Many years ago while working in the woods on the backside of Dominion Mt. I  found myself temporarily disoriented (not lost, mind you) in dense timber and thick fog. That's when the hair on the back of my neck stood straight up. A sound from the Twilight Zone surrounded me and seemed to follow me. The effect was a cross between a pebble being drooped into a deep well and an alien spacecraft that seemed to hover over head, out of sight, but clearly with its eyes on me. At a loss for a rational explanation I resigned myself to whatever fate awaited me. That's when a Common Raven appeared between the tree tops, repeating the it's 'Never More" call to my embarrassed enlightenment.

Photo Courtesy the Macauley Library, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Beside there familiar croak and caw, listen to some of the other sounds a Common raven might make. It is not even close to a complete list. I personally believe they make it up as they go. Scary-smart birds.

Common Raven Calls


So keep you ears open. You might just have the hair on the back of your neck rise in surprised amazement. Let us know if you find a Bobolink this summer.


Good Birding,

       - Hawkeye