At 03:46 PM 8/12/95 -0700, Neil J. Fergusson wrote:

>I am planning
>to lead an S.A.S trip to the lower hood canal on September 24th,
>principly (spelling ?) to look for Mountain Quail. I have never
>been there and do not know the area well, so I would greatly
>appreciate any tips on where to bird. Any good Mountain Quail
>spots would be a plus, including best time of day to look for them, etc.
>

One place in south Kitsap County near Port Orchard was good at least until
mid 1994 when I moved away. To find it, follow Hwy 16 west from I-5 in
Tacoma and cross the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Continue north on Hwy 16 and
exit at the Purdy/Shelton
exit. Follow Hwy 302 across the causeway and up the hill. Turn right on
94th Ave NW which soon turns
into Sidney Road and go north for 3.5 miles to the Port Orchard Airport. The
quail are most easily found in
the morning in the logging slash and scotch broom to the west and north of
the small airport complex. Access is
through the airport gate. Be sure to seek permission to enter from the
on-site manager
who lives in a trailer (still?) behind the vacant restaurant building.
Another adjoining area is at a dirt pull-out
several hundred yards north of the airport on the west side of Sidney Rd and
across from the end of SW
Lakeway Blvd. From here, walk west into the conifers and check the edge
areas between the forest and the
disturbed area to the south and west See the Delorme Atlas page 62, A-3
however, the atlas' depiction of roads in
this area is incomplete.

Mornings seem to be best.

Scott Ray Washington Birder Newsletter
Yakima, WA PO Box 191
scray at wolfe.net Moxee, WA 98936