December 14 - 27, 2000

Contact: Madonna Luers, (509) 456-4073

Bird watchers are wanted over the next few weeks for the Audubon Society's century-old Christmas tradition of conducting annual bird counts.

Audubon chapters around the world are coordinating counts between Dec. 15, 2000 and Jan. 5, 2001. All bird watchers, from expert to novice, are welcome to join spotting teams to count all birds seen in a 15-mile diameter or 177-square-mile area in a 24-hour period. Now drawing more than 50,000 participants each year, the Christmas Bird Count provides one of the most valuable databases on bird population and distribution trends in existence.

The annual bird counts started in 1900 – prior to regulated hunting – as a protest against competitions to see who could kill the most birds and other animals in one day. A competitive spirit has flourished with the counts, but they've also become a great way to get into birdwatching and learn identification tricks from veteran birders.

Fifty-one Washington Audubon chapter Christmas counts are scheduled this season, from Port Gamble on Dec. 15 to Grand Coulee on Jan. 5. Many chapters are set to count Saturday, Dec. 16, including Bridgeport, Colville, Ellensburg, Grays Harbor, Tacoma, Walla Walla, and Yakima Valley. Another big count day will be Dec. 30 for Everett, Seattle, Spokane, Tri-Cities, Twisp, and other chapters. You can find your local chapter's schedule and contact for participation at www.wos.org or call the state Audubon office at (360) 786-8020.

Last year the Sequim-Dungeness count had the highest number of species reported – 141, including relative rarities like bobolink, Eurasian green-winged teal, marbled godwit, red knot, and swamp sparrow. Other smaller counts included unique species, too, like the pine warbler and blue jay spotted in the Pullman area. The Seattle chapter recorded several 50-year-high counts of some species' numbers: 10,774 American crows, 1,880 Canada geese, 446 ring-necked ducks, 200 sanderlings, 66 Pacific loons, 59 Harlequin ducks, 41 bald eagles, 34 red-throated loons, 13 merlins, and a partridge in a pear tree (just kidding)!

Here are more details on other wildlife recreational pursuits available now across the state, region by region:

North Puget Sound:

• Hunting: The last weeks of the year are the last opportunity for snow goose hunting, which wraps up Jan. 1. Meanwhile, recent aerial waterfowl counts conducted by WDFW staff earlier this month showed 123,400 mallards, and a total of 228,375 dabblers in the Skagit-Fraser area. Stormier weather is expected to increase hunter success.

• Fishing: Lower-than-normal water flows resulting from unusually dry fall weather have made for slow steelhead fishing, says Chuck Phillips, regional fish manager. Fishers are reminded that only hatchery steelhead may be kept in Skagit, Snohomish, Stillaguamish and Puyallup river systems. There's action for crabbers, with the Dec. 9 opening of recreational crab fishing in marine areas 8-1 and 8-2, east of Whidbey Island. That crab opportunity continues through Dec. 31.

• Wildlife viewing: Fir Island Farm Viewpoint continues to draw some 18,000 snow geese. Large flocks of shorebirds also use the site (and even the parking lot) on high tide and falling tide, says Lora Leschner, regional wildlife manager. Meanwhile, swans are scattered throughout Skagit County, feeding on potatoes and corn in fields; look for them in the Nookechamps Valley (Francis Road). Some swans are using the island segment of Johnson Debays Swan Reserve. Viewers should remember to stay in their cars for the best viewing if wildlife is close to the parking lot. For safety sake, don't stop on the roads. Do not block private driveways. Instead, look for WDFW parking lots and other public pullouts. On the water, peregrine falcons and bald eagles are watching for weakness in the wintering waterbirds in Skagit and Padilla Bay; find flocks of birds and a predator will be close by.

Olympic Peninsula/South Sound:

• Hunting: Ducks generally have been hard to come by in the last few weeks, but hunters are still taking some bag limits out of the Chehalis Valley where WDFW has cooperative agreements with 15 farms that open their gates to hunters. Signs posted on these properties clearly state the conditions of hunting there, ranging from "Feel Free to Hunt" to "Register to Hunt" or "Hunting by Written Permission." Once you've picked your spot, look for ducks feeding in the fields or flocking to the sheet water. Freezing weather may drive the ducks off the fields to the Chehalis River, but that's not a problem since hunters have access at numerous points along the river. An alternative to the Chehalis Valley is Willapa Bay, which has some good salt-water hunting opportunities – if you can find them. "Logging roads provide the main access to the bay, but they're not marked," said Jack Smith, regional WDFW wildlife manager. "You have to know where you're going." The best hunting is from shore at high tide, he said.

• Fishing: Lucky anglers can take home a "mixed bag" of fish from a number of rivers and streams around the region at this time of year. On the Willapa and Naselle rivers, for example, it's entirely possible to catch a limit of two hatchery steelhead and two late-run hatchery coho salmon in a single outing. The same is true of the Humptulips River and there are still fair numbers of late-run coho on the Satsop River as well. Although the Nisqually River is now closed to the retention of all steelhead, whether wild or hatchery-reared, steelhead gear is the way to go if you want to take advantage of this year's chum salmon run. "Green corkies with green yarn or green streamer flies are the gear of choice," said Chuck Baranski, regional WDFW fish biologist. Baranski said the Nisqually chum run is picking up now and usually peaks in late December. "Based on past experience, the Nisqually chum fishery should offer some great fishing for some big, bright fish," said Tim Flint, regional WDFW fisheries manager. On the coast, low water continues to hold down catch rates – and angler effort – on a number of rivers. However, a recent sampling by WDFW on the Bogachiel/Quillayute river system turned up 167 anglers with 94 steelhead (88 hatchery-reared, six wild). Twenty anglers were checked on the Calawah River with four steelhead (all hatchery origin) and only two anglers were checked on the Sol Duc with no steelhead. Rules vary on all these rivers, so make sure you check the Fishing in Washington rule pamphlet before you go.

• Wildlife viewing: If you want to see ducks – lots of ducks – the place to go is the Satsop Development Park off Highway 12 in the shadow of the old Satsop cooling tower. This year, like every year, a two-acre settling pond at the site is packed with mallards along with some widgeons, pintails and other waterfowl that live in or pass by the area. "The pond is basically wall-to-wall duck," said WDFW's Jack Smith, who said he has seen as many as 5,000 birds there at one time. "It's really quite a sight." Why so many ducks in one spot? For one thing, the area is clearly posted "No Hunting." To get there, take the Highway 101 exit from Olympia (or Highway 12 from Aberdeen), exit at Elma and go 1½ miles on Wakefield Road toward the cooling tower until you get to a "Y" in the road. Go right and follow the signs to West Park until you spot a pond overflowing with ducks.

Southwest Washington:

• Hunting: Goose hunting continues in Goose Management Area 2 (Pacific, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz and Clark counties) and Goose Management Area 3 (Lewis and Skamania Counties) in southwest Washington. These seasons run through mid-January on selected days. Hunters should check page 8 of the "Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game Seasons" pamphlet for zone descriptions and call (360) 696-6211 and press *1030 for a daily status of the zones. As of Dec. 12 in Goose Management Unit 2, fish and wildlife biologists reported 665 goose hunters with a harvest of 1,423 Canada geese. Of those, 13 dusky Canada geese were counted against the season maximum of 80 duskies that may be harvested this season. The seasons are heavily monitored and regulated to protect the dusky geese and hunters are required to pass a test before receiving permits. Check the pamphlet for specifics on study materials and testing dates.

• Fishing: Fishers who enjoy the Columbia tributaries can indulge in some holiday fishing dreams of spring fishing on the Wind River and Drano Lake because of the prospect for a largest-in-decades return of hatchery spring chinook to the upper Columbia. Tuck some 12- to 15-pound test fishing line in those dreamers' stockings, along with a box of magnum-size Wiggle Warts or some similar kind of diving lure, says Joe Hymer, WDFW fish and wildlife biologist. That may make up for the fact that winter steelhead didn't start with a bang this year as anglers would have liked. Still, Hymer says, there are steelhead present in most of the rivers. Try the Grays, Elochoman, Cowlitz, Kalama, north and east forks of the Lewis and Washougal, as well as the Salmon Creek in Vancouver. Opening for steelhead fishing Friday (Dec. 15) is Grays River from the Highway 4 bridge, upstream to the South Fork (the river is already open from the Highway 4 bridge, downstream) and the West Fork Grays from the mouth to the footbridge/intake above the hatchery. Starting Saturday (Dec. 16) the North Fork Lewis River opens for steelhead fishing from Colvin Creek just upstream from the salmon hatchery to the power lines below Merwin Dam. Lower portions of Blue and Mill creeks, tributaries to the Cowlitz River, remain open to fishing through December. Meanwhile, sturgeon fishing continues with a up to one-fish-per-boat average, from Kalama upriver to just below the Bonneville Dam.

• Wildlife viewing: Birdwatchers around Kalama should keep an eye open for geese in the thousands, reportedly showing between Kalama and Grays Bay. For a look at a variety of shorebirds, take a break from the flocks of shoppers and drive to Julia Butler Hanson National Wildlife Refuge near Cathlamet. Once inside the refuge, drive along Brooks Slough and Steamboat Slough roads, enjoying the warmth of your car while you keep on the lookout for wildlife, including white-tailed deer.

Eastern Washington:

• Hunting: There are still good numbers of pheasants in Whitman County, and the best hunting, says Hickman, seems to be along the Palouse and Snake River breaks. Lots of roosters can be seen in a day of hunting, but most will be wild and out of range. Quail hunting is good to very good along the Snake River. Chukars should be available for those hunters crazy enough to climb over icy rocks and steep, slick hills. Stendal reports that forest grouse, pheasant, quail, and gray partridge hunters with dogs are still productively working the Tucannon river bottom and timbered draws of the Wooten Wildlife Area, although only the hearty are braving the deep freeze conditions.

• Fishing: With extended sub-zero weather, winter-only trout fishing should be through-the-ice now at all four regional lakes open, says WDFW fish biologist Bob Peck. Fourth of July Lake on the Lincoln-Adams county line is providing catches of 11 to 22-inch rainbows, with lots of limits of two fish over 14 inches. Williams Lake north of Colville in Stevens County has 12 to 16-1/2-inch rainbows. Hatch Lake, also north of Colville in Stevens County, should yield catches of 11 to 12 inchers. Hog Canyon Lake in Spokane County has been a bust so far, with Peck speculating that an influx of cormorants (fish-eating birds) earlier this year may have had an impact. If you can secure access, whitefish fishing on the Little Spokane River should be good. Portions of the Tucannon and Grand Ronde rivers in the southeast have also been open to whitefish since earlier this fall, but barbless hooks are the rule there. Stendal reports that the Tucannon is low and clear and a few steelheaders are picking up a few hatchery fish in the open area up to the Cumings Creek bridge. Steelheading on the Snake and Grand Ronde rivers continues to draw anglers, despite the bitter cold.

• Wildlife viewing: Bighorn sheep can be seen close-up at the winter feeding station at Noisy Creek Campground on the Sullivan Lake Ranger District of the Colville National Forest in Pend Oreille County. Sheep watchers are advised to prepare for the quarter-mile hike over snow and ice to reach the viewing area and to dress warmly for standing quietly in the cold for best viewing and photographing. For detailed travel information to this site, call WDFW's Spokane office at (509) 892-1001 or stop by (N. 8702 Division St.) to pick up a brochure with map. Lots of raptors are being spotted throughout the Palouse and the central part of the region, perhaps due to lack of forage in winter-ravaged habitat further north and/or what some believe is an "explosion" of field mice and other rodent populations locally. WDFW wildlife biologist Jerry Hickman suggests combining your Christmas tree hunt on national forests with a wildlife-watching expedition; keep eyes peeled for signs of deer, elk, moose, coyotes, and other animals. If you're using snowmobiles, Hickman cautions against disturbing wildlife at this time when winter survival is stressful enough. WDFW Wooten Wildlife Area Manager Gary Stendal reminds Christmas tree hunters on the Umatilla Forest that adjacent state and privately-owned lands are NOT open for tree cutting. If you like to see big fish, now's the time to arrange a family or group tour of the Spokane Fish Hatchery where spawning of big broodstock rainbow trout is underway for the next month; call Senior Environmental Corps volunteer tour guides at (509) 328-7327 to make arrangements.

North Central Washington:

• Hunting: Ice-up across the Columbia Basin has slowed waterfowl hunting. Hearty souls with tough dogs continue to seek upland game birds with some success, but a thaw and some precipitation would help.

• Fishing: Whitefish anglers have been few and far between on the Wenatchee River since it opened on the first of December. Those who were out found fishing as slow as one whitefish per hour, reported WDFW fish biologist Art Viola, who blames it on cold water temperatures. Now the river is flowing ice and probably impossible to fish, so Viola advises anglers to wait until warmer weather. Viola also reminds whitefish anglers that they must use a size 14 hook to avoid catching steelhead, which are off-limits. In the Columbia Basin, WDFW regional fish manager Joe Foster reports that much of the big waters like Moses Lake and Potholes Reservoir are iced up and with wind chills hovering below zero, few if any anglers are braving the elements to fish. Foster says now is the time to practice your fly tying.

• Wildlife viewing: Try snowshoeing for snowshoes in the Conconully area of Okanogan County! Snowshoe hares are occasionally seen and their tracks often found. Snow cover in the north end of this region makes this a good time to watch and track all kinds of wildlife. From a vehicle on the backroads, you can look for raptors, deer, coyotes, and other critters out and about day and night to make a living. On foot or snowshoes or cross-country-skis, look for the tracks those and other animals have made; take a tracking field guide to identify the signs left in the snow, and you'll be amazed at the variety of species that are toughing it out in these wintery conditions.

South Central Washington:

• Hunting: Ducks are in good numbers on the mainstem Columbia River since side waters are frozen. Bundle up in the blind and the shooting could be productive.

• Fishing: Whitefish fishing continues on the Naches, Yakima (above Rosa), Bumping, Tieton, CleElum, and Klickitat rivers. All of these waters are closed to the taking of steelhead and salmon. The Yakima above Rosa is catch and release for trout. Jumbo rainbow trout (half-pounders) continue to come out of North Elton Pond in Yakima County near Selah, alongside Interstate-82, where there is a two-trout daily catch limit and no internal combustion engine boats are allowed.

• Wildlife viewing: Winter feeding of elk at WDFW's Oak Creek Wildlife Area, just off Highway 12 southwest of Naches, begins Friday, Dec. 15. While some elk have been waiting around the traditional feeding area for the past few weeks to be first in line, others will come out of the woods when the hay truck first rolls through. If you want to witness the first feast, be there no later than 1 p.m. Daily feeding of thousands of elk will continue through the winter, as it has since 1945 to help keep elk off of adjacent private land where they cause damage. School groups and elk viewers and photographers of all ages are always welcome at the visitor interpretive center near the wildlife area headquarters. Senior Environmental Corps volunteers are usually on hand to answer questions about the elk. For more information, call Oak Creek at (509) 653-2390 or WDFW's Yakima office at (509) 575-2740, or see www.wdfw\.wa\.gov/lands/r3oakcrk.htm.