PALOUSE AUDUBON SOCIETY

Field Trip Calendar

These events are open to the general public. Participants must accept total responsibility for themselves and their possessions.  To enhance the birding experience for all, we encourage participants to read and follow the birding Code of Ethics adopted by the American Birding Association.  We meet and try to car pool as fitting. Come out and enjoy birding with us. Don't be shy, it is a fun learning experience for all.  For more field trip information, inquire at the program meeting, or contact Terry Gray at (208) 882-1585

May 4—NW Whitman County (Sunday); Tom Weber. This field trip takes us into the heart of Whitman County’s channeled scabland. We will visit the shallow lakes near Sprague, the Rock Creek drainage and the Palouse River area. Specific targets are burrowing owl, long-billed curlew and ferruginous hawk. Participants should meet at 7:00 a.m. at Dissmore’s in Pullman. A full day trip.

May 10—International Migratory Bird Day Celebration; Moscow and Lewiston. Joel Sauder, non-game biologist for Idaho Fish and Game, will have activities and free posters at the Moscow Farmers Market from 8:00am until Noon. The WSU Raptor Club will be exhibiting live raptors from 9:00am until 11:00am. Activities will also be held at the Lewiston City Mall from 1:00pm until 5:00pm. The WSU Raptor Club will be exhibiting live raptors from 2:00pm until 4:00pm. Come join in the celebration!

May 17—Graves Creek to Joseph Plains; Terry Gray. This trip has beautiful scenery and a large list of birds. Some target birds are White-throated Swift, Lewis's Woodpecker, bluebirds and Mountain Quail. Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the Sports Authority parking lot in Lewiston. This will be a full day trip, so bring a lunch.

May 28—Wednesday Evening Bird Walks—The first of 5—Each field trip will visit a different local area. Among them are: Phillips Farm, Spring Valley Reservoir, Wawawai Canyon, Genesee Wetland and Kas Dumroese’s property. Participants should meet at 6:30 p.m. at Safeway in Moscow. For more information contact Terry Gray at (208)882-1585.

May 31—Rose Creek and Steptoe Butte; Tom Weber. Steptoe Butte State Park is a 150-acre, 3,612-foot-tall natural monument. The picnic area at the entrance to the park has always yielded a wide variety of species and the butte itself has produced sage sparrow, brewer’s sparrow, black-throated sparrow and clay-colored sparrow. Rose Creek Preserve is recognized as containing one of the best black hawthorn/cow parsnip riparian areas left in the entire Palouse. The preserve is also home to more than 250 species of vascular plants and 100+ species of birds. Participants should meet at 7:00 a.m. at Dissmore’s in Pullman. A partial to full day trip.

May 31—Benewah County Century Count. Coeur d’Alene Audubon has invited birders from Palouse Audubon to participate in their Century Count Big Day. They will be renting a cottage at Heyburn State Park for the two nights on either side of the big day. Contact: Lisa Hardy, basalt@earthlink.net, if interested.

June 7—Pittsburg Landing; Terry Gray. Terry will lead this trip to the Camas Prairie and into Hells Canyon. The trip will explore new regions to many of us and should yield some interesting Snake River species. This is an all day excursion, so bring a lunch. Participants should meet at 7:00 a.m. at Safeway in Moscow. For more information contact Terry Gray at (208)882-1585.

June 14—Mica Mountain; Terry Gray. This field trip through low elevation mountain meadows will travel east of Moscow visiting habitat on Spence Road, Lenville Road, Spring Valley Reservoir, Mica Mountain, Vassar Meadows and the East Fork of the Potlatch River. Target species include: redstarts, water thrush, goshawk, ruffed and blue grouse, great gray owl, jays and nutcrackers and bobolink. Participants should meet at 7:00 a.m. at Safeway in Moscow. For more information contact Terry Gray at (208) 882-1585. A full day trip.

June 21—Craig Mountain; Terry Gray. Target species will include: chukar, Williamson's sapsucker, western bluebird, red-naped sapsucker, Lewis’s woodpecker, olive-sided flycatcher, northern goshawk, Lincoln’s sparrow and Clark’s nutcracker. Possible species include: great gray owl. Expect some great views into Hells Canyon and the Salmon River. Meet at the Sports Authority parking lot in Lewiston at 8:00 a.m. This will be a full day trip, so bring a lunch.

June 28—Asotin Creek and the Blue Mountains; Jerry Cebula. This is an all day trip into the Blue Mountains. Target birds are woodpeckers, mountain nesting birds and hopefully the Green-tailed Towhee. This trip should produce nearly 80 species as well as abundant wildflowers and beautiful scenery. Meet at Swallows Park Marina in Clarkston at 7:30 a.m.

Photos by Terry Gray and Tom Weber

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To get to Mann Lake:      

THE SCENIC ROUTE (Lindsay Creek Road): From the north end of Lewiston, follow US 12 south into town, cross the Clearwater River on Memorial Bridge and immediately take the first left (east) toward East Lewiston.  Turn left (east) onto East Main Street and go about a half mile to the flashing yellow lights.  Turn right (south) onto Lapwai (a.k.a. Lindsay Creek) Road.  When the road forks stay right on Lindsay Creek Road (Nez Perce County Road 460) and follow it about 5 miles to its terminus at Grelle Avenue.  Turn left (east) onto Grelle Avenue and just past the sharp right curve, turn left (east) onto East Powers Avenue (a.k.a. Lapwai Road). Continue straight (east) past the grain towers to the main parking lot of the lake.

THE URBAN ROUTE (Powers Avenue):  From the north end of Lewiston, follow US 12 south into town, stay left at the first light and cross the Clearwater River on Memorial Bridge.  The left lane directs you up 21st Street at the next light.  Follow it up the hill, through the Lewiston Orchards until it turns into a 2-lane road.  Turn left on Powers Avenue and follow it all the way to the grain towers and the main parking lot at the lake. ID DeLorme 54, A-1.