May 15th - North Douglas County

I woke up to the sounds of Eurasian Collared-Doves. The raspy mewling surprised me - I thought I would get out the door a little earlier, but 6 AM still wasn't all that bad. I'd spent the night at the Willows Inn in Wilbur, technically two counties away from my intended starting point for the day, but only a 30 minute drive. 

Crown Point Vista

Crown Point Vista - above Grand Coulee Dam

Another addition to my "entering Douglas County collection

The close confluence of five counties always made Grand Coulee an interesting stop for me. The dam itself is mostly (I believe) in Grant County, although this was a short drive for me from Wilbur in Lincoln County. I passed signs inviting me to the Keller Ferry, which (no connection) takes one to Ferry County on the other side of the Columbia. Okanogan County is accessed right across the river from Grand Coulee itself, and my stop was in Douglas County at Crown Point Vista State Park.

There wasn't much to the park - I was mainly here because of some sightings of Vaux's Swift from this park across a few years. I didn't find any that morning, but there were plenty of Rock Wrens buzzing in the area, as well as singing Lark Sparrows and Violet-green Swallows. It was a neat stop, and I recalled stopping here many many years ago with our late son when he was just barely walking - he looked absolutely tiny next to the huge river, the huge dam, and the imposing cliff walls. Any of us might, I suppose. 

Grand Coulee Dam from Crown Point Vista - Okanogan County at left, Grant at top

The Rex Places

Someone's got to answer this for me. There's a Pendall Road up in this corner of Douglas, but it's not Pendall Road, it's "Pendall Rex Road". Barry Rex Road. Douglas County has never worked too hard to name roads (N and H are nice. R is a road I need to explore for sure), so the weird new pattern is confusing to say the least. 

More of the same. Rex... who are you?

I quickly let it go though... or at least I plan to quickly let this go... as soon as I understand it.

That aside, I wanted to explain why this corner was kind of interesting to me. Turkeys. That's all. Code 4 birds that had been reported on numerous occasions up here. I had started the year with firm belief that I would come up here and I would find them. 

To be fair, Matt and I found Wild Turkeys back in February near Bridgeport, but they still haven't popped up on eBird. We put them in, and I uploaded audio of them vocalizing in what seemed like good habitat, but no response, inquiry, or help in understanding their uncountability had come our way. To be fair, the folks who volunteer their time to keep that awesome data awesomely clean... they have actual lives and can't have me bending their ear every time I put up an odd sighting, but I was still kind of hoping to get the "I have a question about your sighting" email at some point just to have a chance to better understand where these birds are wild and where they're not, etc etc etc. 

But just like the Rex Roads, I can let that go.

I actually had a good-sized list of other birds I was hoping to find out here. With ponds dotting the grass and sage, I was still hoping for a Blue-winged Teal, or maybe some American Avocets. The riparian corridors might get me some of the warblers I was missing (Orange-crowned and Nashville) maybe?

Pendall Rex Road

There was no shortage of Western Meadowlarks and Lark Sparrows. And then of all things... a stinking Gray Partridge (bird 163 for the year) went dashing across the road. I'd been looking for those suckers all winter, and had kind of given up on them until next winter. Not at all expected, but I'll take it! 

Riparian corridors had Brown-headed Cowbirds, Bullock's Orioles, and Yellow Warblers. The ponds mostly just had the usual suspects (coots, Redheads, Northern Shovelers), although I did find a pond that had a pair of Eared Grebes (164) in breeding plumage. 

The road was lined with signs indicating that this was a wildlife area - it's a newly minted one called the Big Bend Wildlife Area. What I didn't realize at the time was that it has largely been put in place to protect Sharp-tailed Grouse - a species I still (spoiler alert) have never seen at the time of this writing!

Dusky Grouse and Greater Sage-Grouse are also possibilities out here, so there will be a return trip for those for sure.

Bullock's Oriole

I was amazed at how much I just had the road to myself. It was a beautiful Saturday, and I actually ended up picking up a lot of birds over the course of three hours - 58 species! I eventually made my way to China Creek Road, which works its way down close to the Columbia.

Lots of grazing in the open country here

End of the Road - China Creek Road

What a neat little spot! The end of the road actually had a car or two present that had beaten me to the punch that morning. Down below me across the field, I could see people fishing in the Columbia. And even more fun - I heard the Wild Turkeys I'd been hoping to find here. The picture here helps clarify why I didn't just walk over to them for a closer look! But it was still nice to find some in a more expected area. 

The long walk through here didn't add any new year birds, although some Yellow Warblers kept me on my toes with some interesting songs. After a hike of a couple miles around the habitat, I hopped back in the car to continue West across the northern part of the county.

Highway 174 ponds

There are actually a startling number of ponds out along Highway 174 and the side roads that spring from it. I stopped so many times, hoping to find the Blue-winged Teals and American Avocets I'd been hoping for. Then finally at a pond near McCabe Road: Boom. American Avocets. Except they turned out to be Black-necked Stilts. Still a fun bird! I stayed and scanned the pond, and was finally able to add a single shorebird species: Wilson's Phalarope (165), with two of them circling madly on the far end of the pond. A Grasshopper Sparrow (166) sang from the grasses as well. 

Turkey Vulture caught on red light camera

Coyote

So, a pair of new birds in the Big Bend area, and a pair along eastern 174. Great start! I was on to find the next pair: 

Working across the Northern slice of Douglas

The wet ponds and flooded fields of East Foster Creek have been pretty productive this year, giving me American Pipit (which I saw again this day), Cinnamon Teal (nope), and Wilson's Snipe (nope). It was pretty dry for most of it until I finally got to where the water was backed up. From the roadside I was able to hear Common Yellowthroat (167), and with a quick call for them, a pair of Virginia Rails (168). These were both birds I expected to be a little tough, and I'd been teased several times by Yellow-headed Blackbirds, which I found can make some sounds similar to a grunt call from a rail. 

Right around here...my check engine light went on. Oh dear. 

I had been considering camping a night in the county, but decided it would be best to wrap things up. I popped over to Brewster on the other side of the river, and sat for some Carne Asada at Mi Pueblo while I considered my options. I ended up getting advice to hit NAPA, which handles those lights for free. It's been long enough since my last check engine light - it was nice to be reminded of this option. Long story short (when do I ever do that?) - checked, light turned off, safe to go home with it. Phew.

Central Ferry Canyon Road

Here I came across an expected unexpected bird. Many of them, actually, in the form of a Bank Swallow (169) colony. 

Personality test - which Bank Swallow represents you?

Another stop at Packwood Cemetery, which held many of the same birds as the last visit, but now with the addition of House Wren and Cassin's Finch. I thought of where I was, and how far I had to go. . . and thought, "why don't I take Central Ferry South from here, so I'm not stopping so much for new birds - just get movin down the road, yeah?" Then right at the top of the road - Lewis' Woodpecker. (170). 

Do you want to see a really poor picture of a Lewis' Woodpecker? Well, too bad, folks, and apologies, but: 

Lewis's Woodpecker

They're such pretty birds - I snapped a picture quickly, and got something else besides the woodpecker in focus. But to be clear, it's right at the top of Central Ferry Canyon Road, where it all breaks from the trees that I had this bird. 

Then I drove through the farmlands of Dyer Hill:

Lupine and clouds

Not much to see except beauty- I did take Titchenal Canyon Road up through Badger Mountain, which met up with Indian Camp Road, to Badger Road, which took me back down towards East Wenatchee.

My destination once I hit East Wenatchee was Union Hill Cider Company. I wanted to stop for a cider, and had to pick up a piece of wood. The owners, who I had last seen in January? February? Gave me a "Welcome back!" and we quickly got caught up on my trip - then asked about the wood. 

I had met with their son and mentioned how I wanted a piece of applewood for a mug holder, for all of the county mugs I pick up. The owner was happy to oblige, and we went out to his place, where he had a giant container full of cuttings from a bit of orchard that had been cleared. I got what I needed, returned to the store, sat, sipped, and chatted with the folks at the next table. 

Turns out they run a podcast called "Explore Washington". Needless to say we had plenty to talk about! We closed the place out, and I made the trek back over the mountains, already excited for my June trip.