Four seasons of family-friendly fun... without the crowds!
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North Columbia Wildlife 
Wildlife in Abundance How many different types of fishes can you find in lakes, streams and rivers in our area? 10? 20? 30? How about over 35! How did I know that? I picked up a copy of "Wildlife of Northeast Washington," a handy, free brochure that lists all the fish, mammals, birds, and reptiles and amphibians found on public lands in northeastern Washington. The list is intended for nature watchers of all ages and abilities. It contains information on each animal's abundance, seasonal status, and the habitats in which you would expect to find it. To make finding animals on the list easier, they are grouped by family. If I see a little green hummingbird, I know that of the horde illustrated in the bird books, I only have to choose between two: the black-chinned and the calliope. The list also shows the difference between footprints of cat-like and dog-like animals, the difference between lynx and bobcats, and the difference between loons and grebes. The checklist was a cooperative venture with state and federal land management agencies in this area. Chris Loggers, wildlife biologist on the Kettle Falls Ranger District on the Colville National Forest, said that they could not have produced the brochure without Maurice Vial, a volunteer from Spokane who both illustrated the brochure and coordinated most of the list information. Chris also pointed out a few errors in the list that people have found: the coyote slipped off the list completely, the grizzly bear can be found in all habitats, and the Western big-eared bat is found in forested lands. You can pick up a free copy of the list at any of the Colville National Forest District offices, at the Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge, or at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife or US Bureau of Land Management offices in Spokane. In Colville you might also find the list at The Book Depot, Clark's All-Sport, and Mill Creek Outfitters. If the valley floods again this spring, keep an eye out for flocks of migrating waterfowl. Last spring, we were treated to an unusually large concentration of tundra swans just north of Addy and just south of Chewelah. Between Kettle Falls and Addy last spring, we spotted nearly 20 species of waterfowl! Interested in learning more about birds on the Internet? Lots of sites await you, but one of the most intriguing is "BirdSource," maintained by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society (http://birdsource.cornell.edu/). BirdSource offers you the opportunity to "bird with a purpose." Together, you track birds and contribute your findings online to define bird ranges, populations, migration pathways, and habitat needs. You can find information about the Winter Finch Survey, the WatchList for birds at risk, the North American Breeding Bird Survey, Classroom Birdwatch (for teachers and students), and Project Feederwatch Trends (which displays maps of North America and shows where birds are being reported. BirdSource's "Project FeederWatch" is a winter-long survey of bird populations throughout North America, conducted by thousands of bird watchers like you. Participants count the birds at their feeders and periodically enter their counts through the Project FeederWatch Data Entry form. The information helps ornithologists track changes in the abundance and distribution of numerous bird species, and you can see the updates on the screen. Finally, did you seen any pine siskin, red crossbill, white-winged crossbill, pine grosbeak, evening grosbeak, purple finch or hoary redpolls this winter? It seems that these winter finches invaded the US this winter, and over 11,000 bird watchers were hooked on-line to report their movements! With your mouse button, you can access more information on each species, including maps of the invasions and the song of each species. Welcome to NortheasternWashington.com All rights reserved. Copyright 2008-2010.
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