Moscow-Pullman CBC, west Moscow Mountain, 12/17/11

Hi All - 

Tom Besser and I (and Lee Anne Eareckson for a while in the AM) covered the west side of Moscow Mountain for the Moscow-Pullman CBC today. What a great day! Tom and I hiked almost 8 miles round trip up to Paradise Pt. making a more or less straight shot from pond 9 to Paradise Pt. and returning via the road (shown as Foothill Rd. on maps but really a logging road down to Tolo Trail). There are lots of birds on Moscow Mountain in winter! Highlights were 3 Pine Grosbeaks, a Pileated Woodpecker, a N. Pygmy Owl, and lots of chickadees, nuthatches, creepers, and Pine Siskins. It will be interesting to compare some of these totals w/ previous year counts. The conditions were ideal this year with good weather and little snow and lots of birds.

thanks,

Charles.

Ruffed Grouse  1

Red-tailed Hawk  2

Great Horned Owl 1
Northern Pygmy-Owl  1
Hairy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  2
Pileated Woodpecker  1
Common Raven 4
Black-capped Chickadee  7

Mountain Chickadee  27
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  67     - multiple large flocks some w/ as many as 15 birds
Red-breasted Nuthatch  39     - 3 or 4 w/ every feeding flock encountered

White-breasted Nuthatch  10   - with 6 different feeding flocks along route (usually in pairs)
Pygmy Nuthatch  5

Brown Creeper  9

Pacific Wren  1
Golden-crowned Kinglet  19

Townsend's Solitaire  1
American Robin  3
Bohemian Waxwing  10
Cedar Waxwing  30
Dark-eyed Junco  20

House Finch  1
Pine Grosbeak  3

Red Crossbill  12
Pine Siskin  270 - large flock (~200 or more birds) in clearcut northwest side of Paradise Pt., more in smaller flocks elsewhere)

26 species

start: 6:00 AM

stop 2:30 PM

hours owling - 1

miles owling - 1

(no owls in the AM!)

hours on foot: 7.5

miles on foot: 7.5

3 observers in 1 party

--
Charles Swift
Moscow, Idaho
46°43′54″ N, 116°59′50″ W
email: chaetura@gmail.com