Horan Natural Area Bird Walk

Why we bird: Reminders from a Spring Bird Walk,
by Mark Oswood, NCW Audubon Society President
 
A few weeks ago, we had one of our traditional bird walks at Confluence Park and Horan Natural Area, in Wenatchee. We’ve had these bird walks, with a shared meal fore or aft, in spring and fall, for some years. You can never take the same bird walk twice, of course; every trip is a once-only.


We had more folks completely new to birding than in previous trips (yahooie!) so we needed more loaner binoculars and field guides than we had at hand. Question to Chapter members: should we construct a goes-anywhere, traveling kit of loaner binoculars and field guides, ready to deploy on any birding trip likely to have always-welcome neo-birders? On this trip, we had no Really Good Birders (RGB  someone who can casually identify immature gulls or who knows a bird’s song from a faint “fweet” high in a tree). Having a RGB on a trip is inspirational (we all yearn to have these skills) and educational (one can learn bird lore and identification tips, just standing downwind from a RGB). Even so, there is much value in the communal learning of average birders helping each other.

We were, to our surprise, joined by a reporter (Dee Riggs) and photographer (Kathryn Stevens) from The Wenatchee World. Here’s a link to their newspaper article: http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2011/apr/12/taking-flight/ . Dee asked participants why they like birding. Perhaps not surprisingly, the answers didn’t include amassing lists of birds seen but rather the ways in which birding gets us outside, slowed down, with our senses turned on and minds wide open. Annie Dillard pointed out the necessity of just showing up: “… beauty and grace are performed whether or not we will or sense them. The least we can do is try to be there.”

For us average (or especially beginner) birders, even a common bird seen closely is a gift. There were Violet-green Swallows zooming about like tiny jet fighters in a dogfight. One swallow lit on a fence wire and tolerated the intense look-rays of all of our binoculars. An Osprey, on our edge of the Columbia River, caught the downriver wind and hovered in a fish scan, nearly overhead. Our bird list for the trip had no rarities but we did get some rare good views.
 
Canada Goose
American Wigeon
Mallard
Lesser Scaup (could not distinguish from Greater Scaup but location/habitat make Lesser Scaup much more likely)
Bufflehead
Common Merganser
Common Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Osprey
American Coot
Killdeer
Ring-billed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
American Crow
Violet-green Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
American Robin
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
American Goldfinch

Pearrygin Lake Bird Walk

Yesterday's Methow Valley Bird Walk went to Pearrygin Lake State Park. Seven of us quite lucked on the weather with a sunny calm morning. The water was perfectly smooth as we walked from the main campground south to the group camp area along an old road that gives views into the brush and trees below it and the lake beyond. Highlights included a calling Virginia Rail and some people saw an Osprey catch a fish while we all got to see it and another Osprey practice evasive manuevers when a Bald Eagle arrived to try to steal it. There was also a pretty good variety of waterfowl although they stayed quite a ways away and we wished we had a scope with us.

Observed species:

American Wigeon

Mallard

Northern Shoveler

Northern Pintail

Ring-necked Duck

Unknown Scaup

Common Goldeneye

Common Loon

Turkey Vulture

Osprey

Bald Eagle

Northern Harrier

Red-tailed Hawk

Virginia Rail

American Coot

Red-naped Sapsucker

Northern Flicker

Say's Phoebe

Black-billed Magpie

American Crow

Common Raven

Tree Swallow

Violet-green Swallow

Black-capped Chickadee

Mountain Chickadee

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

European Starling

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-winged Blackbird

American Goldfinch

Total number of species seen: 34

Next scheduled Bird Walk is May 9th.

Washington's not so common Common Loon

You are cordially invited to attend Highland Wonders on the first Friday of May. Don't miss this opportunity to learn about local loons. Here is the basic information:

What: Okanogan Highlands Alliance presents a Highland Wonders educational event: "Washington's Not-So-Common Loon." Come and learn about WA loons, as Daniel and Ginger Poleschook share from their observations, research and conservation work in the Okanogan Highlands region.
When: Friday, May 6th: Dinner benefiting the Community Cultural Center at 5:00 pm; Presentation at 6:30 pm with tea, coffee and desserts
Where: Community Cultural Center, 411 S Western Ave, Tonasket, WA
Contact: Julie Ashmore at 509-433-7893 or julie@okanoganhighlands.org
More info: www.okanoganhighlands.org/education

Pine Grosbeak in Chelan?

This sighting/query was sent in by Virginia Palumbo.  Any thoughts?  Please post any comments/help below this post.  Thanks!
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Has anyone seen a Pine Grosbeak in downtown Chelan or nearby? I'm nearly certain that is what I had at my feeder yesterday, but have a few questions about it, having never seen one before. It was feeding in with the Goldfinches, House Finches, Pine Siskins, and Juncos on mixed seed. (I do have many conifers in my yard, but could hardly call if a coniferous forest). It was shaped like the finches, but larger than both. It had a plain gray breast,and distinct white wing bars. It did have a short, thick curved bill, but much less ponderous than other Grosbeaks. The remarkable thing was a bright russet head and rump. It looks like the pictures of a first year male Pine Grosbeak, or female with orangish plumage. My doubt is due to the fact that it was alone, not in a flock, that it appeared closer to 8" in size rather than 9", and that Chelan is a low elevation to find a Pine Grosbeak. I'd love to hear any comments on the likelihood that this was indeed a Pine Grosbeak. I can't find anything else that comes close to this bird, and I'd love to call it my first Pine Grosbeak.
Thanks! - Virginia Palumbo

NCWAS Spring Bird Walk and Picnic: Sat. 4/9/11

Please join fellow Auduboners, families, and friends in celebration of the arrival of spring!  Enjoy a morning of birding in the Horan Natural Area, followed by lunch and convivial conversation at Walla Walla Point Park, Wenatchee.

When:  Saturday April 9, 2011.   9 AM - 1:30 PM (or so)
Where:  Meet at picnic shelter #2 in Walla Walla Point Park (Wenatchee) at 9 AM.  We will take a leisurely, 2-hour easy bird walk along the park trail through the Horan Natural Area, followed by lunch starting about 11 AM back at the picnic shelter.

What to bring:  binoculars, weather-appropriate clothing, bird guides, whatever food you'd like for yourself.  We'll have birding checklists, paper plates/napkins/etc., and bottled water.

More information and directions:  see the NCWAS website, the April Wild Phlox, or contact Mark Oswood:  email or 509-662-9087.

Hope to see you there!