Birds of a feather flock together in Okanogan Country - the area abounds with great places to view birds.
     Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway, which runs from Othello to Omak, is known as "The Great Washington State Birding Trail" because of the numbers and diversity of birds found along the way.
     The byway, which runs along highways 17 and 155 with spurs along the sides, features more than half of Washington's 365 bird species. Thousands of sandhill cranes come through on the Pacific Flyway in spring and fall, while black-crowned night herons and great egrets stay to rest in summer.
     The area's bald eagle and waterfowl populations offer great winter birding.
     The corridor follows the ancient route of the Columbia River where ice age floods sculpted dramatic canyons and table lands. The area is covered by sage, grasslands and lichens.
     There are plenty of lakes - both small potholes and miles-long Lake Roosevelt - plus extensive wetlands.
     A Balde Eagle Festival http://www.eaglefestival.com/ is held each February in the Grand Coulee area and a sandhill crane festival is held each spring along the Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway, http://www.othellosandhillcranefestival.org/
     In the Okanogan Valley, bird watchers can view all manner of birds, among them bald eagles, golden eagles, hawks, herons, egrets, curlew, nighthawks, cranes, ospreys, bluebirds, grouse, Canada geese and American white pelicans.
     Prime viewing areas are along the Okanogan River, where eagles often can be seen perched in trees or soaring aloft in search of food.
     Nesting platforms dot the valley and often can be found near power poles. The platforms were placed for ospreys to nest in safety instead of building their homes on power poles themselves.
     Occasionally a Canada goose family will take up residence in an osprey nest, but you'll more often see geese in large washtubs placed in trees and in poles.
     Many bluebird houses dot the countryside as well, as the area's human residents have provided nesting spots.
     The lower Methow Valley and the area along the Columbia River also are good spots to view ducks, geese and eagles.
     The varied topography of Ferry County provides habitat for a multitude of bird species.
     A birding checklist for Ferry County, prepared by the Highlands Bird Group, lists more than 225 species that can be found in some part of the county at least part of the year. (See separate article on Ferry County birding.)
     More information:
     - North Central Washington Audubon Society, P.O. box 2934, Wenatchee, WA 98807; phone (509) 662-9087; http://www.ncwaudubon.org/.
     - Great Washington State Birding Trail, http://www.wa.audubon.org
     - Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway, http://www.tourism.wa.gov/byways/Byway.aspx?bwid=16
     - Ferry County birders: birders@rcabletv.com or http://www.ferrycounty.com