One thing for sure, Mountain Chickadees are very localized west of the
crest (where it is wetter and there are fewer pines). It appears to be
limited in King Co. to an area immediately south & west of Stevens Pass
(e.g., Tonga Ridge and just south of the pass along the crest).

Gene.

On Fri, 22 Sep 1995, Brenda Senturia wrote:

> Tweeters-
> I have been hiking alot the past few weeks at the 3500 - 5000 ft. elevations
> on the east side of the Cascades. I have been trying to figure out why I
> sometimes see Mountain Chicadees and sometimes Chestnut-backed Chicadees.
> While the Mtn. tend to occur at higher elevations and in drier habitats,
> I am often surprised by Chestnut-backeds where I don't expect them. Are
> there other habitat characteristics that predispose to one species or the
> other? I would appreciate any thoughts. Thanks.
> Brenda Senturia
> senturia at scn.org
>
>