Enjoyed a nice SAS trip to look for Sage Grouse at the Yakima Firing Range
this past weekend. We observed some fifteen or so males and a couple
of females.
In addition I found a pair of White-headed WP at Wenas Creek Campground
which were in the same spot two days running. Here are directions to the
spot: (a 45 minute hike through some very beautiful terrain)
Go to Wenas Creek Campground, drive through it to the gate at the far end.
Walk through the gate and follow the creek. When the dirt road goes
uphill walk up to the ridge to your left and follow it parallel to
the creek. Continue along the ridge keeping the creek in sight for
15 minutes or so until you reach a large open field of rocky talus.
Continue along past the talus and stay on the ridge for a few minutes.
You will see a large open fieldy area to your left and then a stand
of ponderosa in the gully to your left and uphill from the field.
Keep walking on the ridge until you are in line with the uphill extreme
of the ponderosa stand. A hundred yards from the uphill extreme of the
stand there is a few dead trees where you will find a pair of White-headeds.

I also observed a migrating Turkey Vulture there.

Finally we drove back along U.S. 12 and stopped a few spots west of
White Pass. In one spot I heard a singing unidentifiable Warbler.
The song was strongly reminiscent of a Black-throated Green.

About 1 mile off U.S. 12 on F.R. 4510 I thought I saw three Mule deer
run off into the woods, but after a better look they turned out to be
Coyotes. When I returned to Seattle I checked the Field Guide To Mammals
to find out that the dogs looked much more like Gray Wolves. They ran with
their tails straight out, had a very prominent black spot on the top of
the tail, were very large, were traveling in a group of three, and
were habitating thick coniferous montain forest.
The range of the Gray Wolf does not include this part of
Washington. There are however, a few spots where they occur in
Oregon, Wyoming, etc. (introduced into former range ?). The
range maps are quite old (pre-1980) and perhaps some reintroduction
efforts in Washington have taken place since.

I would greatly appreciate ant information anybody has on the status
of the gray wolf and its distribution in our state.

Neil J. Fergusson ******************
1405 1/2 NE 56th St. * Baffins *
Seattle, WA 98105 * or *
(206) 517-5466 * bust *
cccc at u.washington.edu ******************