[obol] 2 Upland Sandpipers near Seneca (Grant Co) and the trip back home

[Stefan Schlick]

I headed over to Grant Co Friday night with UPLAND SANDPIPER on my mind. After being denied 3 times last year, I pulled into Scotty Ck Rd full of enthusiam and hope at around 5:20am on Saturday. It was cold at 23F. Well, I spent about 2.5 hrs near the T about 6mi into Scotty Ck Rd (off 395 north of Seneca). I heard the wolf whistle three times, but only once saw 2 birds fly by, calling loudly. They went down about 1/3mi north where the right fork dead-ends. The other Bear Valley regulars were easy to spot: Willet, Long-billed Curlew, winnowing Wilson's Snipe, Wilson's Phalarope, Vesper Sparrow, White Pelican.
 
>From the T, I took the left fork, FR24, to its terminus at CR63. Right where FR24 enters the forest, there were Yellow Warbler, Pygmy Nuthatch and 2 Red-naped Sapsuckers. At 2.5mi from the T, I had a pair of Williamson's Sapsuckers and a Gray Jay. Many Hammond's Flycatchers were calling from the wooded areas. At around 4.8mi from the T, you will reach the beginning of a large burn that extends all way to the end of FR24 and even beyond CR63. I made several stops and they pretty much all were productive. Highlights include White-headed Woodpecker, Red-naped Sapsucker at 4.8mi from the T, my first Lewis's Woodpecker at 5.1mi and 3 more Lewis's and another White-headed at 6.0mi from the T.
 
>From the junction FR24 & CR63 I turned east for a couple of miles and then north onto FR2195, also affected by the burn. At just 0.3mi in, there were 5 Lewis's and 2 Black-backed Woodpeckers. House Wrens were singing by that time as it had warmed up nicely. At 1.1mi, another White-headed Woodpecker and a pair of Townsend's Solitaire (the male was singing its long fluty song - what a thrill!). Just before being blocked by snow, I had another calling Williamson's Sapsucker and a persistently singing Cassin's Vireo at 1.6mi.
 
I made a few more stops on the way along the Paulina Hwy (that's one lonely road ...) back to the Sisters area, but nothing interesting materialized. A Red-breasted Sapsucker was along FR1018. I was dead, so I camped near the NE end Cold Springs CG, where the local White-headed Woodpecker gave a good showing both in the evening and the following morning. A lingering Golden-crowned Sparrow and a few calling Dusky Flycatchers were also present. Early morning I studied Fox Sparrow and Green-tailed Towhee songs, before making my way up Round Lake Rd (FR1210). Birds were far an few between. 3 Hairy Woodpeckers, many Fox Sparrows, a flock of about 50 Mountain Bluebirds, that was it. I spent just about as long as at the Grant Co burn and was hardly seeing any birds. Singing Townsend's Warblers and Hammond's Flycatchers below the burn in the confers. 
 
On the east end of the town of Idanha, a lone BLACK SWIFT was cruising overhead.
 
Stefan Schlick
Hillsboro, OR
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