[Tweeters] Douglas County birding - September 19-21

[Tim Brennan]

Hello!

I made my September trip out to Douglas County from Sunday through Tuesday. I had hoped to have things blogged sooner, but I'll just give a sum-up now, as it may be a little bit before I can get it all put together.

As noted earlier, California Scrub-Jay was a fun find in East Wenatchee on Monday. I also did some birding along the waterfront on the Apple Capital Loop Trail, but came up with nothing new or all that interesting (outside of a few Western Fence Lizards - new for me). Within a day or so of my visit, Sabine's Gulls had been seen by other observers in the area, and a Parasitic Jaeger had also been seen flying from the Chelan side towards Douglas and East Wenatchee. These were targets I'd considered, but just didn't come across while I was there.

The Waterville STP has quieted down, with nearly every shorebird replaced with an American Pipit, it would seem. A trip up Badger Mountain was pretty quiet, although I did have a Sharp-shinned Hawk push through from North to South, possibly a migrant.

Douglas Creek on Monday night/Tuesday morning was wonderful. I added a Red-naped Sapsucker (finally!) on Monday evening, and heard Common Poorwill, Western Screech-Owl, and night-calling Swainson's Thrush from my tent. In the morning, the canyon was full of Bewick's, Rock, and Canyon Wrens, Yellow-rumped Warblers (so many) and at least one Orange-crowned, Song, White-crowned, and Lincoln's Sparrows, as well as a few Hermit and Varied Thrushes. I did three miles of the nature trail (and back) with the reward of a Golden Eagle at the point where I turned around.

Chief Joseph Dam had a couple dozen American White Pelicans, and Bridgeport Bar gave me one more new bird for the year - a Sandhill Crane that flushed from cover no more than ten feet from me during my walk there. 202!

I'm heading back in October with some simple dreams (Golden-crowned Sparrow), reasonable reaches (Surf Scoter), and plans to wander aimlessly on the plateau in search of the magical barn that holds a Barn Owl. Time and plans permitting, I'll try for missing grouse (Greater Sage and Sharp-tailed), and am looking forward to the slow return of birds I'd missed early in the year (Bohemian Waxwing, Lapland Longspur, Gray-crowned Rosy Finch, Common Redpoll, Gyrfalcon).

Cheers,

Tim Brennan
Renton
douglascountybirding.blogspot.com (updates soon!)
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