[obol] Continuing Wallowa Co birds including Spruce Grouse; also Umatilla Snowy Owl

From: Stefan Schlick <greenfant@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: OBOL <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2015 01:49:36 -0500
Casey Cunningham and I spent Saturday, Sunday and early Monday in the Wallowas. 
The weather was glorious. We finished Monday afternoon at around 2:30pm at the 
Weston Snowy Owl spot.
We started the day early Saturday in Enterprise looking for the Harris's 
Sparrow and Cape May Warbler, but only found 2 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS north of 
Pete's Pond. The GYRFALCON was along the Imnaha Hwy between Tenderfoot Valley 
Rd & Tucker Down Rd all weekend (we saw it 6 times on all 3 days). PINE 
GROSBEAKS were plentiful at McCully Ck; we saw and heard them there every day 
and never went 15min without them. We flushed a Ruffed Grouse and got really 
close to it when we re-found it. A male SPRUCE GROUSE was at McCully Ck as 
well, but it took us an hour to find it. A totally white Snowshoe Hare hiding 
out in a dense grove of young trees was a special treat.  A run through Golf 
Course Rd in the afternoon yielded a large flock of about 12 AMERICAN TREE 
SPARROWS. GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCHES were settling into their roost late 
afternoon at the yellow house along School Flat Rd. Further down on School Flat 
Rd at the farm with all the machinery were 3 GRAY PARTRIDGES. Along Leap Ln in 
the canyon (gravel portion) we found a pure flock of about 25 BOHEMIAN 
WAXWINGS. This may have been my single best day in the Wallowas ever. That said 
Casey had pretty much all these birds on Friday as well, plus a Black-backed 
Woodpecker and a calling Northern Goshawk at McCully Ck.
On Sunday we gave the HARRIS'S SPARROW another try at the feeder along Thorpes 
Ln (just NW of Pete's Pond). It came in twice briefly before 8am. We worked 
another section of Enterprise for the Cape May, but again didn't succeed. 
Joseph yielded Red Crossbill, Evening Grosbeak and Townsend's Solitaire. 3 
Great Horned Owls, 2 Golden Eagles, a Krider's-type Red-tailed Hawk and a 
Mountain Bluebird were the highlights during a midday loop through Elk Mountain 
and Swamp Ck Rds. We passed by the Gyrfalcon to look for Chukar along the 
Imnaha Hwk (including a hike out Devil's Gulch), but didn't find any. We did 
get a Canyon Wren and flushed a Ruffed Grouse though. At McCully in the late 
afternoon we flushed 2 more Ruffed Grouse and again had Pine Grosbeak. An 
attempt for Boreal Owl along McCully Ck in the evening was unsuccessful, but 
the night sky was priceless.
Today, Monday, we again worked McCully CK in the morning. The highlight among 
all the Pine Grosbeaks were 4 Chestnut-backed Chickadees at where FR3920 
crosses the creek. Pileated Woodpecker was heard, Pygmy Nuthatches were near 
the house where the forest starts. A flock of Red Crossbills was at the ski 
area parking lot.
Just like Wink a couple of days ago, we took 204 from Elgin to Weston (we 
briefly stopped at Morning Creek Sno-Park near Tollgate and tooted in a few 
Chestnut-backed Chickadees). We found one SNOWY OWL along Watts Rd about 1mi 
west of York Rd. 
On the way back I picked up the Arlington Greater White-fronted Goose (thanks 
for the reports, Jen). I made 2 more stops along Gilliam Co's North Coast and 
found a pair of Hooded Mergansers just west of Philippi Canyon.
At MP 120 were 13 Columbia Bighorn Sheep. It's always great to end your trip 
with the magnificent beasts.
Enterprise has a relatively new Thai Restaurant on Main St (opened 4 months 
ago). It is inexpensive and good. Hopefully, they can stay in business.
Stefan SchlickHillsboro, OR
[obol] Continuing Wallowa Co birds including Spruce Grouse; also Umatilla Snowy Owl

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