<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class="">Hi all,</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Let me start by saying once again
that Cassimer Bar Wildlife Area is an incredible place. You may have
seen my post about the Brown Pelican on August 27th, but on the 28th I
came upon a perhaps even less expected visitor: a Dusky Grouse! How many
places in the world can one see a Brown Pelican and Dusky Grouse at the
same location? The grouse was the first fall lowland record for
Washington and was a bizarre sight to behold. It sure was ratty and I
was a bit perplexed what to make of it at first, as any grouse is very
unexpected in the russian olives and sparse willows at Cassimer Bar.
Grouse sometimes descend to the Columbia in the deep of winter, as a
February sighting of Dusky Grouse from Washburn Island reflects. All the
same, I was shocked! I was struck by the large size and scaly under
belly pattern in the field, but I thought Dusky was impossible in the
lowlands, so I tentatively setted on Ruffed until I was done birding and
able to look more closely at photos. But sure enough, I sent it to some
friends and they agreed that it looked better for Dusky! Bonkers.
Perhaps even more crazy than Brown Pelican to me! But I digress...</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Anyhow,
remember how I said Cassimer Bar is amazing? It was AWESOME on Sunday
morning. The Pelican was gone when I got to the tip at sunrise, but the
diversity of water birds and shorebirds was impressive for August.
Baird's Sandpipers foraged on floating water plants in mid-river with
Red-necked Phalarope while Common Loons in full breeding plumage circled
and dove close to shore, uttering the occasional yodel. There were
several species of neotropical migrants present in the russian olive
thickets near the tip, with six species of warbler, Bullock's Oriole
(getting late), and many Gray Catbirds. Something that fascinates me
about Cassimer Bar is the great numbers of Eastern Kingbird that
converge here. I counted 38 on this morning, down from 58 twelve days
prior. I had also observed 37 in mid-August years ago. This species can
flock in the hundreds on its wintering grounds in the Amazon so this
alone is not unheard of, but in Washington it's pretty special. The
state high count in eBird is 60 (from Sun Lakes SP), making me think
that on mornings where all the stars align in mid to late August, the
state's highest counts must indeed be at Cassimer.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Things
quieted down a bit after 9am, but I managed to pick out an interesting
chickadee from a flock I had pished in, a Black-capped x Mountain
Chickadee hybrid! I had great looks and took many photos of this
oddball, the first eBird record of this pairing in Okanogan county. I
somehow managed to tally 88 species on the morning! I really think this
might be my second favorite spot in the state to go birding, it is
superb for diversity. Check it out people!! I am the ONLY person to
submit a list from there since July 22nd. That is insane for what is
indisputably the best birding location in Okanogan county in my mind.
Email me if you have questions on the best way I have found to cover it.
<br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">eBird list:<br class=""></div><div class=""><a href="https://ebird.org/checklist/S117715380" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://ebird.org/checklist/S117715380&source=gmail&ust=1662017366305000&usg=AOvVaw0O-SQ9fEYmdlnlcs0OXoEi" class="">https://ebird.org/checklist/<wbr class="">S117715380</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I
begrudgingly left eventually... I went next to Washburn Island. Not
really worth it at 11am, there were few passerines, but I had to check
as I've never been in August. Things were much better at the Lake
Pateros overlook in Douglas county. I was greeted by Lewis's Woodpeckers
chattering as I exited my car, and was treated to two striking male
White-winged Scoters in full alternate plumage as I scanned the river.
They are surprisingly rare in Douglas, with only two eBird records for
the county, both from here. There were two male WWSC first noted in June
at Cassimer Bar, perhaps these were the same individuals who summered
on the "lake". After a productive stationary count, I carried on to
Bridgeport Bar Wildlife Area. This place has almost too much habitat and
is too dense! It seems like it would be awesome earlier in the morning
when songbirds are more active, but becomes difficult to cover in the
afternoon. Nothing special here.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I headed south
toward Grant county after this. I made several brief, inconsequential
stops on the parched Waterville Plateau on the way. My first real stop
was the south end of Lake Lenore. Not only is it gorgeous, but there
always seems to be a healthy abundance of birds here. Duck diversity was
solid, a Peregrine Falcon harassed Chukar on the cliff across the lake,
and a family of Loggerhead Shrikes escorted me out. I wanted to bomb to
Lind Coulee and Perch Point at dusk in hopes of something spicy. Alas,
nothing crazy awaited me. A Semipalmated Plover at Lind and two
Semipalmated Sandpipers at Perch were nice but nothing cosmic. Still,
nothing like a beautiful sunset to usher out a day with 128 species!</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The
29th was less thrilling, as I got skunked for much of the day. I
started at Potholes SP, which had ample numbers of migrants but nothing
special. Lind Coulee and Perch point had 7 and 8 Semipalmated Sandpipers
each respectively, I believe my single highest counts in Washington!
They also had a combined 39 Baird's Sandpipers, which are really
streaming through right now. Several hundred Western Sandpipers and many
Leasts on the morning as well, though nothing crazy was mixed in. The
rest of the day away from Potholes was sloooow. Getty's Cove had one
nice flock and Red-necked Phalarope on the Columbia, there were a few
migrants at Sentinel Bluffs, but that's about all. Nothing to write home
about!</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I am now home in Yakima for a couple
days while I get my affairs in order before I head to Peru for two
Months in late September! A little work for now, but I'll be back out
birding soon enough...</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Best,</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Eric Heisey</div></body></html>