Hey Richard,that's exactly what I Need right now, a quite place,some-place
to relax and enjoy nature,
reflect on the year of 1997 with twice broken ribs.I still thankfull being
alive.you message say's it all,Nature can heal.I like to try Cougar
Mountain tomorrow and like to find out how much of a hike i must do, before
I see any birds?What hyway I take to reach this trails. I kow it's sound
strange for me to attemt this in my condition,but is time to get up, and
move forward.If you know, how to reach this place, please let me know,Thank
you, you cheered me up.
Ruth
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net

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> From: PAGODROMA <PAGODROMA at AOL.COM>
> To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
> Subject: Cougar Mountain -- so little, yet so much!
> Date: Friday, December 26, 1997 2:24 PM
>
> The quiet introspective stroll along the Red TownTrail to Far Country
Lookout
> on urban Seattle's Cougar Mountain on Christmas morning revealed few
birds.
> The birds were really the least of things important. Thanks to Rob
Conway's
> recent postings about Cougar, this until now has resulted in my so
belatedly
> discovering this fantastic wildernessish area so close to home. A few
short
> hours at Cougar gives one the feeling of being somewhere in the remote
> Cascades and hours away from Seattle's urban noise and hustle and has a
most
> peacful and therapeutic effect. Each and every moment was precious up
there
> including each and every one of the few birds scattered here and there.
> Nothing exceptional other than perhaps the two Common Redpolls near the
crest
> at Far Country Lookout.
>
> I very nearly missed the Redpolls. Had I so much as stepped on and
snapped a
> twig or slipped on a wet leaf at the wrong second, I would have walked
right
> past them and missed that faint short chitter of a pair feeding on alder
> catkins a few away and about 20 feet up. This King County regional park
is
> loaded with catkin bearing alders that should keep wandering flocks of
winter
> finches happy and well fed all winter! As there are so many alders, such
seed
> eating birds could be anywhere; here one moment, gone the next. Recall;
that
> Rob Conway reported a three Common Redpolls at Cougar Mountain last week.
>
> The list (1000-1300hrs) -- (12 species)
> Cooper's Hawk (1)
> Hairy Woodpecker (1)
> Black-capped Chickadee (6)
> Bewick's Wren (1)
> Winter Wren (10)
> Golden-crowned Kinglet (4)
> Ruby-crowned Kinglet (2)
> Varied Thrush (4)
> Spotted Towhee (4)
> Song Sparrow (14)
> Pine Siskin (~200) -- one swirling flock that came and went like an
apparition
> Common Redpoll (2)
>
> The numerous clumps of cedars scattered all through here look like having
> great harboring potential for Saw-whet Owls. Perhaps some of the best
looking
> and likely habitat in the local Seattle area.
>
> Richard Rowlett (Pagodroma at aol.com)
> 47.56N, 122.13W
> (Seattle/Bellevue, WA USA)