NWBirding Okanogan Highlands

Okanogan Highlands: Lost Lake and surrounding areas
June 2015

Synopsis
In keeping with a tradition started after my Master Birder graduation, a few members of my class spent a long weekend camping and birding together. We choose the Okanogan Highlands - a place known for great birding year round. Our base camp was Lost Lake, high in the mountains among the larch, Engelman spruce, and ponderosa pine. This idyllic campground featured a group campsite lake side (all other individual campsites were away from the lake). We lucked out on the relative quiet that weekend, as I could imagine the campground being quite busy during the later summer months. In addition, two camps are adjacent to the campground. If those camps were in session, I could imagine the peacefulness of the lake being drowned out by screaming children (and adults).

Instead of human noises, we were able to enjoy the predawn chorus of Willow Flycatchers, Evening Grosbeaks, Hammond’s Flycatchers, Tree Swallows, Red Crossbills, and Pine Siskins to name a few. The dusk chorus included the Sora and the winnowing of Wilson’s Snipe. At night, we were often awaken by the loud call of the Common Loon and the softer hooting of Great Horned Owls. There were many wonderful birds to enjoy just around the campground.

Despite the great birding around Lost Lake, we also took day trips away from camp. We traveled many roads surround the area, including Mary Anne Creek to the Chesaw wildlife area, Siwash Creek, and Havillah Roads through planted farm land, sagebrush, and wet meadows. All environments hosted a great diversity of birds and wildflowers. We also hiked around the Havillah (Highland) Sno-Park looking in vain for a Great Gray Owl (no luck). The weekend was a whirlwind of birding during the day followed by great evenings of dinner and campfire chatting - a great way to spend the weekend with friends in a beautiful setting.

Top

Pictures (click on thumbnail)

Bird List

Mallard
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Virginia Rail
Sora
Spotted Sandpiper
Wilson's Snipe
Black Tern
Great Horned Owl
Williamson's Sapsucker
Red-naped Sapsucker
Hairy Woodpecker
American Three-toed Woodpecker
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)
Pileated Woodpecker
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Western Wood-Pewee
Willow Flycatcher
Hammond's Flycatcher
Dusky Flycatcher
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Western Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Cassin's Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Gray Jay
Common Raven
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Barn Swallow
Mountain Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
House Wren
Bewick's Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Cedar Waxwing
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)
Townsend's Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)
Western Tanager
Black-headed Grosbeak
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Cassin's Finch
Red Crossbill (Douglas-fir)
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Evening Grosbeak

Mammals:
Coyote	roadside
White-tailed deer	roadside
Mule deer	Lost Lake
Snowshoe hare	Lost Lake
Beaver	Lost Lake, Mary Anne Rd
Muskrat	Lost Lake, Mary Anne Rd
Yellow-bellied marmot	roadside
Little brown bat	Lost Lake
Columbian ground squirrel	Lost Lake, roadside
Northern flying squirrel	Lost Lake
Red Squirrel	Lost Lake
Douglas Squirrel	heard, Rockport State Park
Yellow-pine chipmunk	Lost Lake
Meadow vole	Lost Lake

Herps and fish:
Painted turtle	introduced, Lost Lake
Garter snake	Lost Lake
Columbian spotted frog	Lost Lake
Western toad	Highland Sno-park
Pacific treefrog	heard, Lost Lake
Signal crayfish	our one and only native crayfish, Lost Lake

Butterflies and other notable insects:
Pink-edged sulfur
Hoary elfin
Butler’s alpine
Milbert’s tortiseshell
Anicia checkerspot
Lorquin’s admiral
Eight-spotted skimmer

Notable flowers
Elegant cats ear	Mazama (Goat Creek Trail)
Mountain Lady Slipper	Lost Lake
Shrubby penstemon	Lost Lake


Complete list for entire trip:
eBird Checklist Summary for: Jun 5, 2015, 6:00 AM to Jun 8, 2015, 6:00 PM as recorded by Scott Ramos

Number of Checklists: 20
Number of Taxa: 133
(Total species: 135 -- including two in-transit species: Loggerhead Shrike, Black-billed Magpie)

Checklists included in this summary:
(1): Newhalem Agg Ponds
Date: Jun 5, 2015, 10:13 AM
(2): Goat Creek Trail
Date: Jun 5, 2015, 1:25 PM
(3): Loup Loup Campground
Date: Jun 5, 2015, 3:00 PM
(4): Okanogan Highlands-Lost Lake
Date: Jun 5, 2015, 7:15 PM
(5): Okanogan Highlands-Lost Lake
Date: Jun 6, 2015, 4:01 AM
(6): Big Trees Trail
Date: Jun 6, 2015, 8:32 AM
(7): Bolster Rd
Date: Jun 6, 2015, 1:29 PM
(8): Okanogan Highlands-Mary Ann Creek
Date: Jun 6, 2015, 2:05 PM
(9): Davies Rd
Date: Jun 6, 2015, 4:39 PM
(10): Okanogan Highlands-Muskrat Lake
Date: Jun 6, 2015, 5:15 PM
(11): Okanogan Highlands-Beth Lake
Date: Jun 6, 2015, 12:45 PM
(12): Okanogan Highlands-Lost Lake
Date: Jun 7, 2015, 3:06 AM
(13): Havillah Sno Park-Rd 260
Date: Jun 7, 2015, 7:40 AM
(14): N Siwash Creek Rd
Date: Jun 7, 2015, 12:13 PM
(15): Havillah Rd and Siwash Creek Rd
Date: Jun 7, 2015, 2:20 PM
(16): Strawberry Mountain Trail
Date: Jun 8, 2015, 4:13 AM
(17): Bonaparte Lake Rd-Hwy 20
Date: Jun 8, 2015, 9:37 AM
(18): Loomis
Date: Jun 8, 2015, 11:13 AM
(19): Sinlahekin Wildlife Area--Conners Lake
Date: Jun 8, 2015, 11:36 AM
(20): Gold Creek Pond
Date: Jun 8, 2015, 5:48 PM

4 Canada Goose -- (19),(20)
11 Mallard -- (5),(8),(20)
8 Blue-winged Teal -- (8)
14 Cinnamon Teal -- (8),(19)
7 Northern Shoveler -- (8),(10)
4 Green-winged Teal -- (8),(10)
4 Redhead -- (8),(10)
14 Ring-necked Duck -- (4),(8),(9),(11)
1 Greater Scaup -- (8)
5 Bufflehead -- (8),(9)
8 Common Goldeneye -- (8),(11)
1 Hooded Merganser -- (16)
8 Ruddy Duck -- (8),(9),(10)
1 California Quail -- (8)
1 Ring-necked Pheasant -- (8)
6 Common Loon -- (4),(5),(12)
11 Pied-billed Grebe -- (4),(5),(9),(10),(12),(16)
3 Great Blue Heron -- (8),(12)
3 Turkey Vulture -- (2)
1 Osprey -- (8)
1 Golden Eagle -- (18)
1 Northern Harrier -- (8)
1 Cooper's Hawk -- (14)
3 Bald Eagle -- (16),(19)
1 Swainson's Hawk -- (8)
6 Red-tailed Hawk -- (8),(10),(14)
1 Virginia Rail -- (19)
3 Sora -- (8),(12),(16)
26 American Coot -- (8),(10)
4 Killdeer -- (8)
10 Spotted Sandpiper -- (5),(11),(12),(16),(20)
4 Wilson's Snipe -- (4),(5),(12),(16)
1 Wilson's Phalarope -- (10)
8 Black Tern -- (10),(16)
14 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) -- (10)
2 Band-tailed Pigeon -- (1)
5 Eurasian Collared-Dove -- (8)
4 Mourning Dove -- (5),(19)
6 Great Horned Owl -- (4),(5),(16)
3 Northern Pygmy-Owl -- (12)
2 Black-chinned Hummingbird -- (14)
3 Rufous Hummingbird -- (1),(14)
3 Calliope Hummingbird -- (8),(14)
1 Belted Kingfisher -- (11)
1 Lewis's Woodpecker -- (18)
18 Williamson's Sapsucker -- (5),(6),(12),(13),(16)
5 Red-naped Sapsucker -- (2),(6),(16)
4 Red-breasted Sapsucker -- (1)
2 Downy Woodpecker -- (6),(8)
6 Hairy Woodpecker -- (1),(3),(5),(6),(12)
1 American Three-toed Woodpecker -- (6)
2 Black-backed Woodpecker -- (3),(13)
12 Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) -- (5),(6),(8),(12),(13),(16),(19),(20)
2 Pileated Woodpecker -- (1),(6)
5 American Kestrel -- (8),(10),(19)
15 Olive-sided Flycatcher -- (4),(6),(12),(13),(16)
24 Western Wood-Pewee -- (2),(5),(6),(7),(13),(14),(16),(19),(20)
13 Willow Flycatcher -- (5),(6),(7),(12),(16),(19)
14 Hammond's Flycatcher -- (1),(5),(6),(12),(16)
13 Dusky Flycatcher -- (2),(4),(5),(6),(12)
7 Pacific-slope Flycatcher -- (4),(5),(12),(16)
3 Say's Phoebe -- (7),(14),(19)
9 Western Kingbird -- (7),(8),(19)
27 Eastern Kingbird -- (7),(8),(14),(19)
7 Cassin's Vireo -- (1),(6),(13),(16)
22 Warbling Vireo -- (1),(2),(5),(6),(12),(13),(14),(16),(19),(20)
3 Red-eyed Vireo -- (1),(19)
6 Gray Jay -- (5),(6),(13)
2 Clark's Nutcracker -- (13)
2 American Crow -- (19)
10 Common Raven -- (3),(6),(7),(13),(16),(20)
1 Horned Lark -- (8)
10 Northern Rough-winged Swallow -- (8)
49 Tree Swallow -- (4),(5),(7),(8),(10),(12),(14),(19)
21 Violet-green Swallow -- (4),(5),(8),(12)
10 Barn Swallow -- (7),(8),(19)
14 Cliff Swallow -- (10)
1 Black-capped Chickadee -- (12)
17 Mountain Chickadee -- (3),(4),(5),(6),(12),(13),(16)
18 Red-breasted Nuthatch -- (2),(3),(4),(5),(6),(12),(13),(16)
2 White-breasted Nuthatch -- (13),(14)
5 Brown Creeper -- (3),(5),(13),(16)
1 Rock Wren -- (7)
11 House Wren -- (5),(6),(7),(8),(13),(14),(19)
1 Bewick's Wren -- (5)
6 Golden-crowned Kinglet -- (5),(6),(8),(12)
75 Ruby-crowned Kinglet -- (3),(4),(5),(6),(8),(12),(13),(16)
6 Western Bluebird -- (7),(13),(14)
11 Mountain Bluebird -- (8),(10),(14)
2 Townsend's Solitaire -- (16)
2 Veery -- (17)
43 Swainson's Thrush -- (1),(4),(5),(6),(12),(16)
4 Hermit Thrush -- (5),(16),(20)
54 American Robin -- (1),(3),(4),(5),(6),(7),(12),(14),(16)
1 Varied Thrush -- (16)
3 Gray Catbird -- (14),(19)
21 European Starling -- (8),(10),(14)
15 Cedar Waxwing -- (1),(2),(8),(19)
2 Orange-crowned Warbler -- (1),(16)
1 Nashville Warbler -- (16)
3 MacGillivray's Warbler -- (1),(13),(14)
11 Common Yellowthroat -- (5),(7),(8),(12),(19)
6 American Redstart -- (1)
29 Yellow Warbler -- (4),(5),(7),(8),(12),(14),(16),(19),(20)
31 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) -- (3),(4),(5),(6),(12),(13),(16),(20)
22 Townsend's Warbler -- (6),(13),(16),(20)
1 Wilson's Warbler -- (19)
2 Yellow-breasted Chat -- (14),(19)
26 Chipping Sparrow -- (5),(6),(8),(13),(14),(16)
4 Brewer's Sparrow -- (14)
9 Vesper Sparrow -- (8),(14)
Savannah Sparrow -- (9)
1 Grasshopper Sparrow -- (9)
20 Song Sparrow -- (1),(4),(5),(6),(8),(16),(19)
2 White-crowned Sparrow (Puget Sound) -- (1)
19 Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) -- (3),(5),(6),(13),(16)
23 Western Tanager -- (1),(2),(3),(4),(5),(6),(12),(16)
4 Black-headed Grosbeak -- (3),(7),(13),(14)
7 Lazuli Bunting -- (7),(8),(14),(19)
3 Bobolink -- (15)
109 Red-winged Blackbird -- (5),(8),(10),(12),(14),(15),(19)
20 Western Meadowlark -- (7),(8),(10),(14),(15),(19)
52 Yellow-headed Blackbird -- (8),(10)
38 Brewer's Blackbird -- (7),(8),(14),(15)
19 Brown-headed Cowbird -- (5),(6),(7),(12),(14),(16)
4 Bullock's Oriole -- (7),(14),(19)
1 House Finch -- (14)
3 Cassin's Finch -- (5),(16)
10 Red Crossbill (Douglas-fir or type 4) -- (6),(13),(16)
30 Pine Siskin -- (3),(5),(6),(7),(12),(13),(14),(16)
10 American Goldfinch -- (7),(14)
19 Evening Grosbeak -- (4),(5),(6),(13),(16)
House Sparrow

Top

Information
Lost Lake Campground

Top