December 8, 2004 - January 11, 2005

Contact: Craig Bartlett, 360-902-2259

Need a break from holiday shopping and all those turkey dinners? Washington offers plenty of opportunities to stretch your legs and enjoy the great outdoors, even on a cold December day.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the holiday issue of Weekender. The next edition will appear Jan. 12, 2005.

If you're a bird watcher - or think you might want to be - spotting teams are forming up around the state for the 105th annual Christmas Bird Count, which runs from Dec. 14 to Jan. 5 in more than 50 areas around the state. Birders in Washington, along with those from Alaska to Argentina, will be counting every bird they see in one 24-hour period within those dates and reporting their results to the Audubon Society.

The results are compiled into the longest-running database in ornithology, invaluable for tracking bird population trends. To get involved, check out the website for Audubon or call one of the contacts listed in the regional summaries below.

For some families, digging razor clams is a holiday tradition - set to take place on four ocean beaches Dec. 10, 11 and 12 this year. Although Kalaloch Beach remains off-limits to diggers, Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks beaches will all be open to digging between noon and midnight those days. For more information, see the South Sound/Olympic Peninsula report below.

Meanwhile, winter-run hatchery steelhead are moving up Northwest rivers in increasing numbers, providing another reason to brave the winter weather. The Quillayute, Bogachiel, Elwha, Humptulips and Cowlitz rivers all show promise - so long as they aren't flooded by heavy rains.

Looking for the perfect gift for the outdoor enthusiast who has everything? Fishing and hunting licenses for the 2005-06 seasons are now available by phone (1-866-246-9453), over the Internet (http://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/) and from hundreds of license dealers throughout the state. Rates for the new licenses, which are valid from April 1, 2005 through March 31, 2006, remain unchanged from last year. "The new season is still a few months away, but a lot of people are already planning next year's adventures," said Frank Hawley, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) licensing manager. "For those folks, a new fishing or hunting license can make a great holiday gift."

Here is more information on current recreational opportunities statewide:

North Puget Sound

• Fishing: Local rivers can offer an interesting mixture of fishing experiences during the last few weeks of the year. No single species is going to dominate the action, as coho and chum salmon runs are beginning to dwindle in most rivers, while winter steelhead returns are just beginning to pick up steam. "I would expect steelhead numbers to get progressively better through Christmas and the end of the year," said Curt Kraemer, WDFW regional fish program manager. Anglers fishing the Skagit River have still been seeing decent numbers of coho and chum, although they're not in the best of shape. Green River anglers have also seen a mix of coho and chum, including a smattering of brighter fish. Reports from the Green indicate the winter-run steelies haven't shown up in the usual places yet. There are a couple smaller fish species that can provide excellent fishing in December and well into the new year. Anglers who like to fish the Skagit-Sauk or the Snohomish-Skykomish river systems this time of year know that hefty Dolly Varden can be taken as they feed downstream of salmon spawning. "Dollies will be keying in on where the chum salmon are spawning," Kraemer said. "Look for them to be feeding on loose eggs just downstream of the spawning activity." Want to impress friends and strangers alike with a piece of trivia that spans both 19th century literature and fish biology? The Dolly Varden got its name from a character in the Charles Dickens novel, "Barnaby Rudge." A "Dolly Varden" was also a popular dress style during the late 19th century - a style that prominently featured bright pink dots, a perfect description of the fish's sides. No such stories for mountain whitefish, a singularly dull-looking fish that rarely gets much larger than 10 inches in length in local waters and doesn't garner nearly as much attention as some of its flashier river mates. Nevertheless, whitefish are relatively easy to catch on light gear and the liberal 15-fish daily limit can lead to a pretty good dinner. Kraemer says that like Dolly Varden, whitefish can be caught just downstream of salmon-spawning activity. "Later in the year, the fish will head into the deeper pools, but during the salmon spawning season, a single egg, or an egg or nymph pattern will catch fish downstream of spawners." Be sure to give spawning salmon plenty of room so that they can complete the life cycle. Lake-based anglers might be able to scrape up a few nice cutthroat trout, particularly on bigger lakes, such as Washington and Sammamish. Perch can also be caught in lakes that are open to fishing year-round, but get the gear right near the bottom. Saltwater anglers can resume fishing for blackmouth in Marine Area 10 (Seattle-Bremerton) on Dec. 16; Marine Area 11, which runs from the northern tip of Vashon Island south to the Tacoma Narrows bridge, is open through Dec. 31. Squid jiggers who don't mind typically cold, wet December weather can often jig a daily limit of five quarts or 10 pounds from downtown Seattle piers.

• Hunting: There is a handful of late archery and muzzleloader deer seasons open in a few game management units within the region, but finding public access sites is always a challenge. "Access and landowner permission is a key to a successful hunt because most of the lowland black-tailed deer are on private land," said Lora Leschner, WDFW regional wildlife program manager. "Hunting can be very successful this time of year because the deer are more likely to be moving in cold weather and visibility is so much better now that the leaves have fallen." Check the Big Game Hunting Seasons and Rules pamphlet for details. The pamphlet is available at retail outlets throughout the region, and online. Ducks and geese are now center stage for hunters, and the best hunting spots have been on the bay fronts, Leschner said. "Weather conditions haven't been bad enough for waterfowl to move inland, so hunters will most likely have the best success hunting in bays and estuaries," she said. Samish and Padilla bays were still holding big numbers of ducks. Birds won't move inland until colder weather pushes into the region and forces the birds to find lakes, ponds and other habitat. Pintail and canvasback can now be retained as part of the daily bag limit of seven ducks.

• Wildlife viewing: The annual gathering of bald eagles along the Skagit River is under way. The Skagit hosts one of the largest winter eagle populations in the lower 48 states, with the peak count of 400 or more birds coming near the end of December. The bald eagle interpretive center is open in Rockport beginning Dec. 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The center's weekly schedule is Friday through Sunday, including Monday holidays, until Feb. 21. Guest speakers give slide presentations on eagles, salmon, habitat or the history of the upper Skagit watershed at 11 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, while a guided two-mile walk leaves the interpretive center to see bald eagles along the Skagit River at 1:30 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday through Feb. 21. This season's Skagit Bald Eagle Festival is set for Feb. 5-6. More information on eagle-viewing tips and the festival lineup is available on the festival's website. Birdwatchers, and those who want to learn more about bird watching, can help with the 105th annual continent-wide Audubon Christmas Bird Count on various dates over the next month at a variety of locations throughout the North Puget Sound region. These day-long counts of bird species and numbers are conducted in traditional 15-mile-diameter areas. Here's where and when counts are scheduled and who to contact for more information: Bellingham, Dec. 19, Joe Meche, joemeche@aol.com, 360-738-0641; East Lake Washington, Dec. 18, Len Steiner, marilensteiner@aol.com, 425-827-2478; Edmonds, Dec. 19, Sally van Niel, sallyandjanvanniel@pilchuckaudubon.org, 425-778-7568; Everett, Dec.18, Mary Teesdale, meteesdale@hotmail.com, 360-734-2561; Kent-Auburn, Jan. 2, Thais Bock, tbock29@concentric.net, 253-839-2044; North Cascades/Newhalem, Dec. 18, Bob Kuntz, robert_kuntz@nps.gov, 360-856-5700 Ext. 368; Padilla Bay, Jan. 2, Steve Aslanian, aslanian@whidbey.net, 360-435-9493; Point Roberts/Ladner, B.C., Dec. 27, Jude Grass, jgrass1@telus.net, 604-219-2043; San Juan Ferry (Anacortes to Sidney, B.C.), Dec. 17, R.B. Porter, rbdemo2@worldnet.att.net, 360-332-6799; San Juan Islands, Dec. 19, Barb Jensen, skylark@rockisland.com, 360-378-3068; Seattle, Dec. 26, Seattle Audubon Society, cbc2004@seattleaudubon.org, 206-523-4483; Skagit Bay, Jan. 1, Art Campbell, acampbell@herrerainc.com, 206-441-9080; Tacoma, Dec. 18, Faye McAdams, zest4parus@hotmail.com, 253-942-9233; Vashon Island, Jan. 2, Sue Trevathan, sue.trevathan@centurytel.net, 206-463-1484; Whidbey Island (Oak Harbor), Dec. 18, Steve Ellis, sellis@coup.wednet.edu, 360-678-2264.

Olympic Peninsula/South Sound

• Fishing: The third razor clam dig of the fall season will get under way at four ocean beaches on evening tides Dec. 10, 11 and 12. Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks beaches will all be open to digging between noon and midnight those days, now that marine toxin tests have determined that the clams are safe to eat. The exception is Kalaloch Beach in Olympic National Park, where domoic acid levels continue to exceed state and federal health standards. Those planning to dig at the other beaches and have not yet purchased a 2004-05 shellfish or combination license are encouraged to do so before they leave home to avoid the lines at coastal licensing outlets. No digging will be allowed before noon at any of the other four beaches. For best results, diggers should get started at least one hour before low tide. Evening low tide on Dec. 10 will occur at 5:12 p.m. (-0.7 ft.), Dec. 11 at 6:01 p.m. (-1.2 ft.) and Dec. 12 at 6:49 p.m. (-1.5 ft.). WDFW also announced tentative dates for additional digs on evening tides through March of 2005, all contingent on the results of future marine toxin tests. Tentative digging schedules for January, February and March 2005 are posted on the WDFW website. Meanwhile, winter-run hatchery steelhead are showing up in increasing numbers on north coast rivers and elsewhere in the region. In WDFW's first creel survey of the season, 200 anglers took 145 steelhead - only one of them wild - in the Bogachiel and Quillayute rivers. None of the 10 anglers on the Hoh River were catching anything, but the 11 anglers checked on the Calawah had 11 fish. "Hatchery steelhead are making a good initial showing, particularly in the Quillayute River system," said Mike Gross, a WDFW fish biologist. "Rain predicted (the week of Dec. 6) could push area rivers out of shape for a few days, but word is getting around that there are steelhead in the rivers." The same is true farther south on the Wynoochee and Humptulips rivers, where anglers have been catching bright "brats" (aka hatchery-bred steelhead) averaging around 6 pounds, said Scott Barbour, a WDFW fish biologist working in Grays Harbor County. "No one's talking about salmon anymore," Barbour said. "It's all about steelhead." Barbour reminds anglers that they must still release any wild steelhead they catch, except on 12 state rivers where the limit is one wild fish per year. Those rivers are the Bogachiel, Calawah, Clearwater, Dickey, Goodman, Green, Hoh, Hoko, Pysht, Quillayute, Quinault and the Sol Duc. Barbour noted that the allowance of one wild steelhead per year on those 12 rivers is not reflected in the Fishing in Washington pamphlet, because the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission repealed the statewide moratorium on wild-steelhead retention and adopted the new rule after the pamphlet was printed. Wild steelhead are defined as those with intact adipose and ventral fins. For anglers hooked on chum salmon, Minter Creek in Pierce County is still a good bet, said Hal Michael, a WDFW fish biologist. "A lot of fish are spawning, but there are still fresh chum moving up," Michael said. "The run has fallen off since Thanksgiving, but a lot of folks are still catching four-fish limits." That is less likely at Hoodsport on Hood Canal, where the bulk of the chum run has come and gone. "The tribal fishery appears to be over and we're only seeing a couple of (sport) boats a day now," said Mark Cylwick, a WDFW hatchery specialist at the Hoodsport Hatchery. "We do still have fish in front of the hatchery, available to anyone who wants to catch them," said Cylwick, noting that the hatchery has met its chum egg-take goal for the year. The first part of the blackmouth fishery is also winding down in most areas, although the season remains open through Dec. 31 in marine areas 11 (Tacoma) and 12 (Hood Canal). It also continues straight through until spring in Marine Area 13, albeit with a one-chinook daily bag limit starting Jan. 1. Fishing has been slow in all those areas, but some die-hards are still landing fish around Point Defiance, said Chuck Johnson, WDFW blackmouth program coordinator. "Catch rates, to date, have been similar to last year," Johnson said. "We have, however, seen a lot more `shakers' this year, which bodes well for future fisheries. Catch rates and conditions tend to improve when fishing resumes in February, so we expect to see more folks out there then."

• Hunting: Waterfowl hunting is the region remains much the same - lots of Canada geese but not many ducks, said Max Zahn, a WDFW wildlife biologist who oversees check stations in Montesano and the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge. "Whether I'm out in the field or just driving to work, I'm seeing lots of geese, lots of swans, but not many ducks," he said. Zahn said "quite a few limits" of geese have been recorded in Goose Management Area 2B (Grays Harbor and Pacific counties), where goose hunting is restricted to Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Most of those birds are Canada geese, but a fair number are so-called "dark geese," which appear similar to duskys except for their white identification bands. (Duskys, which are off-limits to hunting, bear red or green bands.) Wigeons and pintails are also fairly abundant in the Willapa saltmarsh, but mallards are hard to find, Zahn said. "Maybe we'll see more mallards after the first of year when we get some colder weather up north," he said. "By then, we should also have enough sheetwater in the fields to draw more birds inland." Meanwhile, some hunters might want to catch the tail end of the grouse season, which ends Dec. 31. Several pheasant-release sites - including those at Skookumchuck, Fort Lewis, Scatter Creek and Belfair - are open to hunting through Dec. 15, although no more pheasants are being released this season. For archers and muzzleloaders hunting deer and elk, some game management units (GMUs) close Dec. 8 while others will remain open until Dec. 15. Hunters are advised to check the WDFW Big Game Hunting pamphlet for closing dates on specific GMUs.

• Wildlife viewing: Politicians aren't the only ones making headlines in Olympia these days. A pair of brown pelicans, spotted flying, perching or diving for fish up and down Budd Inlet since June, recently got front-page coverage in the Olympian newspaper and have prompted a number of calls to WDFW from Seattle TV stations. Listed as an endangered species by the federal government in 1970, brown pelicans have been making a comeback in recent years and have been seen in increasing numbers on the Washington coast, said Kelly McAllister, a WDFW wildlife biologist. But the birds - unmistakable with their long bills, expandable pouches and six-foot wingspans - are rarely seen in Puget Sound, he said. "I've been doing this for a long time, and I've never seen or heard of one," said McAllister, adding that another biologist says he has seen a third pelican in the area. "This may be part of the population's natural expansion up the Washington coast." And just in time for the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, which begins Dec. 19 in the Olympia area. "If the pelicans stick around then, this could be a first for the Olympia (counting) circle," McAllister said. Birdwatchers and others interested in helping with the annual count - held on different days throughout the region - can contact the following organizers for information: Grays Harbor, Dec. 26, Bob Morse, rwmorse@comcast.net, 360-943-8600; Kitsap Audubon (Bangor, Poulsbo, Silverdale, Bremerton, Manchester), Dec. 18, Gene Bullock, bullock@earthlink.net, 360-394-5635; Leadbetter Point, Dec. 18, Alan Richards, mrm@willapabay.org, 360-484-7119; Olympia, Dec. 19, George Walter, gwalter@nwifc.org, 360-459-8220; Port Angeles-Victoria Ferry, Dec. 19, Scott Atkinson, scottratkinson@hotmail.com, 206-406-2306; Port Townsend, Dec. 18, Richard Johnson, 360-385-5418; Satsop, Dec. 27, Tom Schooley, schooleymccartan@comcast.net, 360-357-9170; Sequim-Dungeness, Dec. 20, Bob Boekelheide, bboek@olympus.net, 360-681-4076.

Southwest Washington:

• Fishing: Hatchery steelhead are showing up in the Cowlitz River, but fishers have to pick the right spot to find success, says Pat Frazier, WDFW Southwest Region Fish Manager. Late November creel checks in the Blue Creek area showed 56 boat anglers with 27 fish, while 33 bank anglers in the Olequa area kept five steelhead, and elsewhere on the river only a few catches were reported. Anglers will get an early holiday present when steelhead fishing re-opens Dec. 15 on the Grays River from the Highway 4 Bridge to the mouth of the south fork and on the river's west fork from the mouth to the hatchery intake. Meanwhile, sturgeon fishers were doing well in the Columbia River gorge from Washougal up to Bonneville Dam, according to late November checks by Washington and Oregon fish managers. That sampling showed 11 boat anglers with eight legal-size fish, and 355 bank anglers with 66 fish. Currently, sturgeon retention is allowed only between the Wauna power lines and Bonneville Dam, and limited to three days a week - Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. But come Jan. 1, anglers will again be allowed to keep one sturgeon daily below the Wauna power lines and above Bonneville Dam. For lake fishers, Lake Scanewa is yielding hatchery coho in good numbers - recent checks there showed 43 boat anglers keeping 30 adult fish and releasing another 30 after Tacoma Power released 335 adult coho into the lake. The utility also released 179 adult coho in the upper Cowlitz River at Skate Creek Bridge and transported 37 coho to Mayfield Lake. Another 128 returning hatchery steelhead and 36 cutthroat trout recently were "recycled" to the lower Cowlitz River at the Interstate 5 bridge boat launch.

• Hunting: WDFW wildlife biologists report moderate to high turn-out for the muzzleloader elk season in Game Management Unit (GMU) 574 and especially in GMU 578 ( West Klickitat). Several cow elk have been harvested south of the Trout Lake area and around the Conboy National Wildlife Refuge. Cold, dry weather has kept elk herds dispersed. Goose hunting opened Nov. 27 in Area 2A (Clark, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties). At a Vancouver hunter-check station, the harvest was moderate for an opening day. Thirty hunters brought in 67 geese for an average harvest of 2.2 geese per successful hunter.

• Wildlife viewing: Birdwatchers, and those who want to learn more about birdwatching, can help with the 105th annual continent-wide Audubon Christmas Bird Count on various dates over the next month at a variety of locations throughout the southwest Washington region. These day-long counts of bird species and numbers are conducted in traditional 15-mile-diameter areas. Here's where and when counts are scheduled and who to contact for more information: Columbia Estuary (Ft. Canby, Ilwaco, Ft. Columbia, Chinook Valley in Pacific County), Dec. 19, Mike Patterson, celata@pacifier.com, 503-325-1365; Cowlitz, WA /Columbia, OR, Jan. 1, Bob Reistroffer, breistrof@aol.com, 360-636-5125; Hood River, OR /Bingen, WA, Dec. 31, Catherine Flick, stewart@gorge.net, 509-493-1195; Klickitat Valley/Columbia Hills (WA/OR), Jan. 1, Stuart Johnston, johnstonstuart@hotmail.com, 509-493-3363; Lyle, Dec. 19, Bob Hansen, bobhansen@gorge.net, 509-365-2404; Portland, OR/Vancouver, WA, Jan. 2, Victoria Crowe, vcrowe@audubonportland.org, 503-292-4917; Sauvie Island, OR/Vancouver Lake/Ridgefield NWR, Dec.19, Wilson Cady, gorgebirds@juno.com, 360-835-5947; Trout Lake, Dec.18, Stuart Johnston, johnstonstuart@hotmail.com, 509-493-3363; Wahkiakum, Dec. 28, Andrews Emlen, aceasp@pacifier.com, 360-795-8009. Meanwhile, a Tweeters website correspondent reports a successful outing in search of acorn woodpeckers in the Lyle area (Klickitat County). Four were spotted along the eastern portion of Balsh Lake Road. The acorn woodpeckers were also heard calling as they foraged in an oak grove gathering acorns. Acorn woodpeckers exhibit a black-and-white coloration with a cream-colored throat, a black back and breast band, striking white eyes and a bright red cap. Another birder's trip to the Ridgefield Wildlife Area and the Dike Access near Woodland yielded sightings of more than 200 sandhill cranes and over 350 tundra swans. Another Tweeters correspondent recently described Doug's Beach just east of Lyle as "a very birdy spot," occupied by yellow-shafted female northern flicker, canyon wren, slate-colored junco, ruby-crowned kinglet, hermit thrush, varied thrush, sooty-type fox sparrows, ring-necked pheasant, western bluebirds, and song, golden-crowned and white-crowned sparrows.

Eastern Washington:

• Fishing: WDFW fish biologist Joe Bumgarner reports that cooler temperatures and lower angler effort have reduced the catch of Snake River drainage steelhead. Recent creel checks show that some of the tributaries are the best bet. Steelheaders on the Walla Walla River averaged 2½ hours per fish, while those on the Tucannon River averaged a little over four hours per fish. Mainstem boat anglers fishing on the mainstem Snake above the Interstate bridge averaged a little over 4½ hours per fish. From Little Goose Dam to Lower Granite Dam, fishers averaged 24.6 hours per fish; from Ice Harbor Dam to Lower Monumental Dam, almost 37 hours; and from Lower Monumental Dam to Little Goose Dam, almost 46 hours. See http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/creel/snake/index.htm for updated postings of Snake River steelhead creel checks throughout the month. Three of the region's four winter-only rainbow trout lakes opened this month with good to excellent fishing. WDFW northeast district fish biologist Curt Vail says Williams Lake in Stevens County "has never been better." Rainbows planted as fry last spring, are averaging 10 inches and comprised 37 percent of the catch on the opener. Fry and catchable-size rainbows planted last year are averaging 14.6 and 16.3 inches respectively and represented 63 percent of the opening-day catch. Opener catch rates averaged a little over three fish per hour and most anglers took home a limit of five. "All of Williams Lake fish are in excellent condition," Vail said. "We rotenone-treated this lake two years ago to improve conditions for trout and it really makes a difference." The other Stevens County lake open for winter trout fishing - Hatch Lake - was lightly iced up on the opener and covered with several inches of snow, so there was no open water or safe ice fishing. With more freezing nights and days as winter advances, both lakes could provide through-the-ice fishing. On the Lincoln-Adams county line, Fourth of July Lake opened with anglers averaging about one fish per hour and taking home nearly three fish each. "Overall, the fishing was great," said WDFW central district fish biologist Chris Donley. "The fish-per-angler average would be much higher if we included catch-and-release, but we've got the no-more-than-two-over-14-inches rule in place so lots of anglers have to release big fish. With so many fish over 14 inches in Fourth of July Lake right now, this is about as good as the catch-and-keep fishing gets." Donley's pre-season sampling showed about 75 percent of Fourth of July's rainbows range from 14 to 20 inches. Spokane County's Hog Canyon Lake is producing better than Donley expected, with opener catch rates averaging close to two fish per hour and 4.6 fish per angler. "I was concerned about low water and predation by birds at Hog Canyon," Donley said, "but the fishing is actually pretty good." Donley noted that Hog Canyon's rotenone treatment last year is making a difference. "Without that rehab, there would be zero harvest in this fishery," he said. As with the Stevens County winter lakes, continued deep freezes should shift the fishing from open water to the through-the-ice method, although several inches of ice are needed for safe traversing. Other good fishing in the region includes big net-pen-reared rainbows in Lake Roosevelt, burbot or freshwater ling in Pend Oreille County's Sullivan Lake, lake trout or mackinaw in Bead Lake north of Newport, yellow perch in Stevens County's Waitts Lake, and brown trout in Whitman County's Rock Lake.

• Hunting: Upland game bird and waterfowl hunting opportunities should improve now that winter storms have left a snow cover and the birds are on the move. The last month of these hunting seasons is often the best for those willing to brave the elements. One clear advantage is less competition for hunting access, particularly on land posted in WDFW's Register-to-Hunt or Hunt-by-Written-Permission programs (most of which lies in the south half of the region.) Goose hunters have a few extra days of hunting right after Christmas in Goose Management Area 4 (including Lincoln, Spokane and Walla Walla counties). This area normally operates on a Saturday-Sunday-Wednesday-only schedule, but offers goose hunting on Monday, Dec. 27, Tuesday, Dec. 28, Thursday, Dec. 30, and Friday, Dec. 31. Hunters who pursued deer, elk, bear, or turkey during the general season - as well as those still engaged in special late-season permit hunts - are reminded to file the mandatory hunting activity report by Jan. 31, whether they were successful or not. Those who want to be entered in the Incentive Permit Drawing for next year's seasons need to report kills within 10 days or report on unsuccessful hunts by Jan. 10. For all the details, see the Hunter Reports section of the WDFW website.

• Wildlife viewing: A normally hard-to-find species is becoming easier to spot in Spokane County as winter advances - small groups of elk are delighting residents and commuters in the Peone Prairie area in the northeast end of the county and the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge area near Cheney in the southwest. Elk viewing in these areas is becoming a seasonal treat, with snow moving growing populations of the big animals closer to roads in search of forage. Spawning kokanee (landlocked sockeye salmon) are now visible as they move up Harvey Creek from Lake Sullivan in northeast Pend Oreille County. Spawned-out kokanee also attract bald eagles, which feed on their carcasses. Before heading out for a fish-watching trip to that spot, call the Sullivan Lake Ranger District of the Colville National Forest at 509-446-7500 for the latest on bird visibility. Birdwatchers, and those who want to learn more about birdwatching, can help with the 105th annual continent-wide Audubon Christmas Bird Count on various dates over the next month at a variety of locations throughout the Eastern Washington region. These day-long counts of bird species and numbers are conducted in traditional 15-mile-diameter areas. Here's where and when counts are scheduled and who to contact for more information: Clarkston,WA/Lewiston,ID, Jan. 2, Charles Swift, charless@moscow.com, 208-883-0553; Colville, Dec. 18, Barbara Rasch, barbara_rasch@fws.gov, 509-684-8384; Pullman,WA/Moscow,ID, Dec. 18, Tom Weber, tweber@wsu.edu, 509-334-3817; Spokane, Dec. 19, Alan McCoy, alanhmccoy@earthlink.net, 509-448-3123 or 509-448-8861; Two Rivers, Jan. 2, Mike Denny, m.denny@charter.net; 509-529-0080; Walla Walla, Dec. 18, Mike Denny, m.denny@charter.net; 509-529-0080.

North Central Washington:

• Fishing: The Upper Columbia River steelhead fishery continues to give anglers an opportunity to harvest hatchery fish and help wild ones. Open until further notice is the stretch of the Columbia from Rocky Reach Dam upstream to Highway 17 Bridge at Bridgeport, most of the Okanogan River, the Methow River except the section between the second power line crossing upstream of Highway 97 Bridge and first Highway 153 Bridge north of Pateros and the Similkameen River. Every day, anglers can harvest two, 20-inch minimum hatchery-origin steelhead, marked by the healed scar of an adipose fin clip. All wild steelhead must be immediately released unharmed. "This fishery was established to allow the naturally-produced fish to dominate the spawning areas," explained WDFW Okanogan district fish biologist Bob Jateff. "We want anglers to remove the hatchery fish from that population. The fate of this fishery is dependent upon them removing those hatchery steelhead." Jateff also reminds whitefish anglers that selective gear rules were enacted this month on portions of the Similkameen and Methow rivers to be consistent with the current selective gear rules for steelhead. Anglers fishing for hatchery steelhead or whitefish should check the Fishing Regulation Changes portion of the WDFW website for all details. WDFW's Columbia Basin district fish biologist Jeff Korth recommends fly-fishing for big rainbow trout on Rocky Ford Creek now. "Winter is a great time for this catch-and-release fishery," he said. "The water temperatures are pretty constant, it rarely freezes up, and it's full of food for the trout year-round. The average fish is 18 to 20 inches, with lots of them well over 20 inches - and all of them fat, so fat that the 18-inchers are five-pound fish. And on a winter weekday, you could have the place to yourself." The only down side is that Rocky Ford's trout are "wise" to fishing now, "a little finicky about what they'll hit," Korth said, so fly-fishers may have to try lots of presentations and be patient. Some catch-and-keep rainbow fishing can still be had at some of the year-round seep lakes south of Potholes Reservoir and north of Othello, Korth said. Fishing at Blythe, Canal, Corral, Heart and Windmill might be a little slow, but it's better than summer fishing. Most of them don't ice over enough to provide consistent ice fishing, in part due to all the currents and springs in the area. Water is higher than normal at Potholes Reservoir, Korth reported, which in the short term might prove good for fishing. "That released water is inundating brushy vegetation which provides good cover for fish - and good places for anglers to target," he explained. "Of course, that vegetation will die back in the long term." Walleye fishing at Moses Lake is slowing down, most likely due to drawn-down water levels at the outlet and under the Interstate 90 bridge. "The currents in Moses Lake are what attract the fish," Korth explained, "and when the water is down, the currents are, too."

• Hunting: No new duck and goose flight survey information for the north end of the Columbia Basin was available at this writing, but waterfowl hunters should watch the North Central Region page of the WDFW website over the next month for newly posted data. Goose hunters have a few extra days of hunting during the Thanksgiving holiday week in Goose Management Area 4 (including Adams, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, and Okanogan counties). This area normally operates on a Saturday-Sunday-Wednesday-only season, but offers goose hunting on Monday, Dec. 27, Tuesday, Dec. 28, Thursday, Dec. 30, and Friday, Dec. 31. Hunters who pursued deer, elk, bear, or turkey earlier (or are still engaged in special late-season permit hunts) are reminded to file the mandatory hunting activity report by Jan. 31, whether they were successful or not. Those who want to be entered in the Incentive Permit Drawing for next year's seasons need to report kills within 10 days, or by unsuccessful trips by Jan. 10. See the Hunter Reports section of the WDFW website for all the details.

• Wildlife viewing A great way to see wildlife in winter - or signs of their presence - is by snowshoe. This quiet, slow method of traveling over deep snow can be just the ticket for spotting the unusual, or at least relieving cabin fever. Free naturalist-guided snowshoe tours through Okanogan County's Methow Valley are conducted on Saturdays, three-day weekends and holidays, giving participants a chance to learn more about wildlife, tracks, winter ecology, beaver ponds and more. Some tours provide free snowshoe use, while others require trekkers to rent or bring their own gear. All require a Methow Valley Sports Trail Association (MVSTA) ski or snowshoe trail pass, available at many Methow area businesses. The tours follow easy routes on groomed snowshoe trails near Sun Mountain Lodge and along the Methow River in Mazama. For more information call 509-996-4036 or see "The Nature of Winter" tours website on the Internet. Birdwatchers, and those who want to learn more about birdwatching, can help with the 105th annual continent-wide Audubon Christmas Bird Count on various dates over the next month at a variety of locations throughout the north central Washington region. These day-long counts of bird species and numbers are conducted in traditional 15-mile-diameter areas. Here's where and when counts are scheduled and who to contact for more information: Bridgeport, Dec. 18, Meredith Spencer, merdave@vib.tv, 509-686-7551; Chelan, Dec. 18, Steve Easley, seasley@wenval.com, 509-682-2318; Grand Coulee, Dec. 21, Meredith Spencer, merdave@vib.tv, 509-686-7551; Moses Lake, Dec. 18, Doug Schonewald, dschone8@donobi.net, 509-766-0056; Osoyoos, B.C. and WA border, Jan. 2, Doug Brown, douglasbrown01@yahoo.com , 250-495-6164; Omak-Okanogan, Dec. 19, Gordon Kent, gogo6116@yahoo.com, 509-422-6116; Twisp, Jan. 8, Carrie and Vic Stokes, stokes@methow.com, 509-997-4781; Wenatchee, Jan. 2, Dan Stephens, dstephens@wvc.edu, 509-663-5323 or 509-682-6752.

South Central Washington:

• Fishing: WDFW district fish biologist Eric Anderson reports recent stocking of nearly 600 excess broodstock rainbow trout from WDFW's Goldendale Hatchery into several year-round lakes between Yakima and Ellensburg: North Fio Rito and Mattoon lakes in Kittitas County and Myron, Rotary and I-82 Pond No. 4 in Yakima County. "There are great opportunities for winter fishing for some large trout in the three- to eight- pound range," Anderson said. "Just be sure to check the fishing regulations for the individual lakes you plan to fish." Anglers who notice a lot of dead salmon in the waterways while fishing for whitefish in the Upper Naches River drainage west of Yakima don't need to be concerned about a sudden fish kill. Anderson explained that 2,688 spawned-out salmon carcasses - nearly 16 tons - were recently distributed in the Little Naches, Bumping and American rivers as part of a nutrient-enhancement program. "The salmon carcasses provide much-needed ocean-derived nutrients for depleted stocks of salmon, steelhead, bull trout and resident fish inhabiting the upper Yakima and Naches basin," Anderson said. "The dead fish are also used by aquatic insects, bald eagles, bobcats, coyote, otters, mink and other wildlife. The water temperatures in the areas where we distribute the carcasses remain so cold through the winter that we have observed carcass remnants the following spring when they can provide food for newborn salmon and bull trout emerging from their gravel nests. This is the way that wild fish naturally recycle themselves to benefit their progeny, so we're really just helping Mother Nature out." Anderson said the fall chinook salmon were trapped from the Columbia River and spawned at WDFW's Priest Rapids Hatchery where the carcasses have been stored in a freezer until they were given a clean bill of health by pathologists. The nutrient enhancement program, now in its seventh year, is a cooperative effort with U.S. Forest Service Naches Ranger District.

• Hunting: No new duck and goose flight survey information for the south end of the Columbia Basin was available at this writing, but waterfowl hunters should watch the South Central Region page of the WDFW website over the next month for newly posted data. Goose hunters have a few extra days of hunting during the Thanksgiving holiday week in Goose Management Area 4 (including Benton, Franklin, and Kittitas counties). This area normally operates on a Saturday-Sunday-Wednesday-only season, but offers goose hunting on Monday, Dec. 27, Tuesday, Dec. 28, Thursday, Dec. 30, and Friday, Dec. 31. Hunters who pursued deer, elk, bear, or turkey during general hunts - or are still engaged in special late-season permit hunts - are reminded to file the mandatory hunting activity report by Jan. 31, whether they were successful or not. Those who want to be entered in the Incentive Permit Drawing for next year's seasons need to report kills within 10 days, or by Jan. 10 if unsuccessful. For all the details, see Hunter Reports on the WDFW website.

• Wildlife viewing: Due to mild early winter conditions, winter feeding of elk and bighorn sheep on WDFW's Oak Creek Wildlife Area southwest of Yakima had not begun as of this writing. However, WDFW area manager John McGowan said that some animals can already be seen on the lower hills near the headquarters area off Highway 12. Call Oak Creek at 509-653-2390 for updated information about feeding and viewing opportunities. Hikers who venture into the Upper Naches River drainage west of Yakima may be in for some unexpected wildlife viewing. Bald eagles, bobcats, coyote, otters, mink and other wildlife may be foraging on the nearly 16 tons of spawned-out salmon carcasses recently distributed in the Little Naches, Bumping and American rivers as part of a salmon nutrient enhancement program. WDFW district fish biologist Eric Anderson explained that the salmon carcasses provide much-needed ocean-derived nutrients for depleted salmon, steelhead, bull trout and resident fish stocks. But the carcasses also draw other wildlife. Meanwhile, birdwatchers - and those who want to learn more about birdwatching - can help with the 105th annual continent-wide Audubon Christmas Bird Count on various dates over the next month at a variety of locations throughout the south central Washington region. These day-long counts of bird species and numbers are conducted in traditional 15-mile-diameter areas. Here's where and when counts are scheduled and who to contact for more information: Ellensburg, Dec. 18, Phil Mattocks, mattockp@cwu.edu, 509-962-2191; Toppenish NWR, Dec. 19, Andy Stepniewski, steppie@nwinfo.net, 509-877-6639; Tri-Cities, Jan. 1, Phil Bartley, bfufam@gte.net, 509-783-5265; Yakima Valley, Dec. 18, Denny Grandstrand, dgranstrand@charter.net, 509-453-2500. It's hard to say what might be seen on any of the Christmas bird counts, but local birdwatchers recently reported some interesting finds for this time of year: Orange-crowned warblers in Grandview, a "green" hummingbird at a backyard feeder on the east end of Cowiche Canyon, a Townsend's solitaire and a mixed flock of about a hundred cedar and a dozen Bohemian waxwings on Sand Ridge Road in Klickitat County, tundra swans on the Yakima River, and prairie falcons in Horse Heaven Hills near Prosser.