<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Hi all,<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><div dir="auto" class="xat24cr x4uap5 xexx8yu xkhd6sd xdj266r html-div x1mh8g0r x18d9i69 xe8uvvx x11i5rnm"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1l90r2v x1swvt13" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id=":r3k:"><div class="xz62fqu xdt5ytf x16ldp7u x78zum5"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b"><span class="xhkezso x1cpjm7i x1s928wv x193iq5w x13faqbe x1gmr53x x1943h6x x1vvkbs x1yc453h x1n0sxbx x1fgarty xo1l8bm xudqn12 xzsf02u xeuugli x6prxxf xvmahel x3x7a5m x1lliihq xlh3980 xvq8zen" dir="auto"><div class="x126k92a x11i5rnm xat24cr xdj266r x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs"><div dir="auto" class="">On May 27th, I embarked on an Okanogan County big day, accompanied by Methow Valley birder Dj Jones, attempting to find as many species of birds as we could in a single day. Located in North Central Washington, the state’s largest county boasts impressive diversity for its northern latitude. It sits at the convergence of several major ecotypes, encompassing the scattered conifer forests and grasslands of the Canadian Okanagan region, the Columbia River, the vibrant riparian forest of the Methow Valley, and the stunning alpine peaks of the North Cascades.</div><div dir="auto" class=""><br class=""></div></div><div class="x126k92a x11i5rnm xat24cr xtlvy1s x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs"><div dir="auto" class="">As such an expansive county, an Okanogan County big day necessitates some convoluted navigation. Perhaps the most diverse region of Washington lies around the Sinlahekin Valley and Okanogan Highlands, and we therefore made it our priority to start with these beautiful locales for owls and the prime morning hours. We then blasted south to Cameron Lake Road, for grassland specialties and the waterbirds which breed in the glacially gouged potholes present there. Afterwards, the Columbia River provided us with a fantastic showing of “big water” species and lowland breeders. As the evening came round, we sped up into the Methow Valley, reaching Washington Pass overlook before 6pm. Our day ended in the Methow, serenaded by the hoots of Barred and Flammulated Owls.</div><div dir="auto" class=""><br class=""></div></div><div class="x126k92a x11i5rnm xat24cr xtlvy1s x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs"><div dir="auto" class="">This was a true midnight-to-midnight endeavor, and by the end of the exhausting day we had managed to find 177 species of bird! This establishes a record for the most species seen in one day in a Washington county, breaking the previous record of 162 species on a Grays Harbor big day by 15 species! I have been waiting to post this to confirm this record, as well as confirming one addition to the list from a recording I took of a Long-eared Owl alarm call which I was immediately familiar with but have since had confirmed by a few people who knew this vocalization. It was a fantastic project, and I had a ton of fun piecing together this day! I hope to have the opportunity to attempt this route again in the future, as I believe a total of 180+ is very possible given some of our misses.</div><div dir="auto" class=""><br class=""></div></div><div class="x126k92a x11i5rnm xat24cr xtlvy1s x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs"><div dir="auto" class="">You can find the trip report of this adventure at this link:</div><div dir="auto" class=""><span class="x1hl2dhg x1mh8g0r x18d9i69 x4uap5 xdj266r x11i5rnm xexx8yu xkhd6sd html-span x1vvkbs xat24cr x16tdsg8"><a href="https://ebird.org/tripreport/246144" class="">https://ebird.org/tripreport/246144</a></span></div><div dir="auto" class=""><br class=""></div><div dir="auto" class="">Good birding,</div><div dir="auto" class=""><br class=""></div><div dir="auto" class="">Eric Heisey</div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div id=":r3l:" class="xat24cr x4uap5 xexx8yu xkhd6sd xdj266r html-div x1n2onr6 x1mh8g0r x18d9i69 xe8uvvx x11i5rnm"><div class="xat24cr x4uap5 xexx8yu xkhd6sd xdj266r html-div x1n2onr6 x1mh8g0r x18d9i69 xe8uvvx x11i5rnm"><div class="xat24cr x4uap5 xexx8yu xkhd6sd xdj266r html-div x1mh8g0r x18d9i69 xe8uvvx x11i5rnm"><div class="x1n2onr6"><div class="x1n2onr6" style="padding-top: calc(100%);"><div class="x6ikm8r x10wlt62 x10l6tqk"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>