204!
I was pretty happy with that result, in the end. A couple species I'd really hoped to see did evade me this year (Sharp-tailed Grouse and Gyrfalcon), but it's still hard to complain. My December trip never did happen - work, family, and snow told me no, but I left the year with no regrets. My running tally and needs list page has the totals, including photos and audio files for as many species as I could get (in some cases, um. . . regardless of quality!) Some of those may get added in the days to come - there's just a lot of sorting through photos and videos to get some of them.
The life list in Douglas is 207, and it's always interesting to see what birds I've seen that I didn't find this particular year: Surf Scoter, Greater Sage-Grouse, and American Avocet.
If you got here and wanted something more sequential, you can click here to get to my first post in January. Just keep clicking on "Newer Post" from there, and you're all set.
Photos of the Year
Just some of my favorite shots from the year. I have stumbled on others since, and could easily have added more, but 50-60 felt like plenty.
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| The first trip in January always calls for a sign pic. |
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| Winter morning from Badger Mountain - I was certainly hoping for Barred Owl, but got none |
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| More from Badger Mountain |
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| Beautiful colors on the Waterville Plateau |
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| My favorite tree! This is at the top of Bridgeport Hill Road |
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| Beautiful old church in Douglas, WA |
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| Badger near Atkins Lake |
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| Looking off the Western edge of the Waterville Plateau |
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| Southern Slope of Badger Mountain |
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| Sunrise over the sage |
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| Shorebirding in SE Douglas - April |
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| Packwood Cemetery - very much out of the way, but not too far for people with loved ones |
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| McNeil Canyon Road |
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| Very typical scene from down on the Columbia |
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| Paths at Hideaway Lake near Rock Island |
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| Highway 2 roadside |
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| South of Highway 2 - amazing, unexpected little trail complete with a lawn chair for just gazing out |
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| Jack's Resort at Jameson Lake - struggling to get opened up and restart - worth a stop! |
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| Grand Coulee from Crown Point Vista |
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| Crown Point Vista |
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| From one of my first trips into the NE corner of the county. Could have been C Rex road, or D Rex road... |
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| Coyote from Highway 172 |
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| Northwest Douglas Fields in Bloom |
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| Coming down the South Side of Badger Mountain towards East Wenatchee |
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| Indian Camp Road, where we found Ruffed Grouse on a field trip |
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Badger Mountain in Spring from above the ski area. Redfield Road up here was
a great place for finches (Siskin, Pine Grosbeak, Cassin's, Red Crossbill), and owls
(Long-eared, Great Horned, Northern Pygmy) |
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| East Jameson Lake Access Road |
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| Bridgeport Bar |
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| Douglas Creek Camping! My favorite campsite in the state |
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| Birding with Joe, and the most adorable dog |
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| Wheat harvest |
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| Apple harvest |
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| Coming down Highway 2 |
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| The end of a 5 mile walk to perhaps the Northeastest point in the county |
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| Hike at Big Bend |
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| Campsite view - Big Bend Wildlife Area |
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| Morning - East Wenatchee |
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| Peaches from Lone Pine |
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| Big Bend hike under threatening skies |
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| Douglas Canyon |
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| Douglas Canyon |
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| Foster Creek - showing some of the burned area from 2020 fires |
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| Apples galore |
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| Turtle Rock on the Columbia |
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| From the Western Prow of the Waterville Plateau |
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| Barns and full moon |
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| November - Waterville Plateau |
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| Mansfield Cemetery |
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| Barker Canyon |
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| Last trip to Big Bend |
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| Sunsets |
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| Sunset - Big Bend |
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| Dezellem Road |
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| Northern Waterville Plateau |
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| Fake skies |
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| The edge of the plateau |
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| 2021 fires - picture from along the Columbia |
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| Gorgeous March morning on Badger Mountain |
