There is a Great Gray Owl by the vans

There is a Great Gray Owl by the vans!

by Greg Lasley

Published in the Victor Emanuel Nature Tours Newsletter, January 1999

The state of Washington in late spring and early summer! Green meadows, cool temperatures, and evergreen mountain forests! To a Texas resident like me, the opportunity to co-lead VENT's Spring Grand Washington Tour in 1998 with Bob Sundstrom was something I was looking forward to. I was not disappointed! We spent our first morning in western Washington near Seattle where we were treated to singing Pacific-slope and Willow Flycatchers, a Black-throated Gray Warbler, and had incredible looks at a stunning Red-breasted Sapsucker! Moving on toward Ellensburg, we birded Manastash Canyon and other areas where we recorded the very local White-headed Woodpecker, a striking bird and a lifer for most of the group. In the next few days, we worked our way northward and eastward, enjoying the variety of birdlife of central Washington. Highlights such as a calling Northern Pygmy-Owl directly overhead, a roost of more than twenty Long-eared Owls, foraging Short-eared Owls skimming grasslands at dusk, and Gray Partridges stalking the roadside were seen. We visited the Potholes Wildlife Area, where we studied a good collection of waterfowl, grebes, and herons. We even got to see a Burrowing Owl, a very local species in this area.

Another favorite location was Swakane Canyon near Wenatchee. This dramatic canyon occupied us for an entire morning as we watched Lewis's Woodpeckers, Clark's Nutcrackers, Townsend's Solitaires, Cassin's Vireos, and several stunning male Calliope Hummingbirds!

The sixth day of the tour found us in the Okanogan area of north-central Washington. Bob knew of an area where he had seen a pair of Great Gray Owls a few months before. Great Grays are very rare nesters in Washington, and we wanted to be very cautious not to disturb these birds should we be lucky enough to find them. Arriving at the spot, we asked our group to remain near the parked vans in a little meadow while Bob and I quietly walked into the forest to try to locate one of the owls perched near a nest. We were cautious to move slowly and quietly as we scanned trees in the hopes of finding a Great Gray. Finally, we spotted one! We moved into a position where we could set up two scopes and view this majestic bird from about 150 feet away so as not to disturb it. I quietly went back out to the group, instructed them as to the procedures we were going to use, and led four people at time into the spot where the scopes were set up. I had instructed our folks to be very quiet, not to talk, and to avoid stepping on sticks that might snap. We wanted to make every effort not to disturb this bird. Four at a time, we finally got everyone good looks at the owl as it remained motionless the entire time. After everyone had seen the owl, Bob and I picked up the scopes and started to slowly make our way back to the group waiting by the vans. As we neared the edge of the woods, we noted some animated talking and waving as people were obviously trying to get our attention. Finally, Paul Davis came up to me, holding my camera which he had taken out from under the seat of my van, handed it to me and said, "There's a Great Gray Owl by the vans!" Stunned, Bob and I walked out of the forest to where the vehicles were parked, and there on top of a small tree not fifty feet away, sat a Great Gray Owl! We stood there in awe as this beautiful creature changed perches several times. It was obviously hunting; we could see it cock its head as if listening and look down into the deep grass below it. We moved to a position to have the sun at a better angle, and I started taking some photos. I sat on the ground with my camera braced on a rock and got some good shots. Then, much to my surprise, the owl flew toward me and landed about twenty feet away! Suddenly, it dropped into grass that was so deep we could not see the bird. Then, just as suddenly, it flew up off the ground carrying a vole in its bill and flew into the forest toward where we had left the perched bird a short time earlier. We started to hear the calls and high-pitched squeals that sounded like begging young, and we assumed the owl was delivering the vole to its young in the nest. A few minutes later, the owl flew back out of the forest, passing within 10 feet of some of us and assumed a perch in the meadow again! This bird was totally oblivious of us in its hunting. It moved from perch to perch as we stood watching. It caught yet another vole and carried it right past us, actually passing between two of our participants as it flew back into the forest. We watched this spectacle for over an hour! It was certainly an incredible experience for us all!

We spent that afternoon exploring the regions near Chesaw, Lost Lake, and Bonaparte Lake, where we had up-close and personal views of a Ruffed Grouse and nesting Common Loons. Small lakes with families of Barrow's Goldeneyes, Hooded Mergansers, and Red-necked Grebes kept us all in awe of this magical area. In the days to come, we explored the Toats Coulee area and Thunder Mountain, where we found such rare and local Washington species as Spruce Grouse, Boreal Chickadee, Black-backed and Three-toed Woodpeckers. This area of the Okanogan region of Washington was a favorite for all of us. Not only did we see many bird species, but mammals such as Red Squirrel and Snowshoe Hare gave us extended studies on numerous occasions.

Leaving the Okanogan area, we headed west again and climbed high into the mountains to Washington Pass, where we were found a pair of Pine Grosbeaks, another species that can be hard to find in Washington. Near the village of Newhalem, we spotted some high-flying Black Swifts and had a small Black Bear foraging near the roadside, another mammal highlight. After a ferry ride across Admiralty Inlet, we landed on the Olympic Peninsula at Port Townsend. Shortly after getting off the ferry, we located several Marbled Murrelets, another bird that can be hard to find! We birded our way to Sequim, our headquarters for the next three nights. The following day we boarded a boat for Protection Island, where we observed Pigeon Guillemots, Tufted Puffins, Rhinoceros Auklets, Pelagic Cormorants, and many Bald Eagles. Harlequin Ducks were seen regularly, and we were lucky enough to find a group of Brant as well! During our remaining days, we birded Mt. Walker, Clallam County Park, the Hurricane Ridge area of Olympic National Park, and other areas. Some of the other highlights were Hermit Warbler, Hutton's Vireo, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, and a late Thayer's Gull.

The Spring Grand Washington trip is a wonderful introduction to this fantastic birding state! Come join Bob and me in 1999 for what promises to be another great adventure!