Tweeters,

Yesterday (30 August), a hike around Naches Peak near Chinook Pass was
great for grand views of Mt. Rainier and late flowers in the subalpine
meadows. The trail was dusty in places; it has been a dry summer! But the
5,500' altitude was welcome relief from the 95 degree heat in Yakima. The
bird of the day for most in the Yakima Valley Audubon Society group of 14
was two Blue Grouse broods with attentive adult hens by the trail which
heads northeast from Tipsoo Lake to the parking lot a few yards east of the
Chinook Pass summit. This is only a five-minute walk from the Tipsoo Lake
parking area.

Noted on this five mile loop were:

Sharp-shinned Hawk-2
Red-tailed Hawk-1
American Kestrel-1
Blue Grouse-1 hen with 6 chicks, 1 hen with 5 chicks
Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker-3
Hammond's Flycatcher-1
Steller's Jay-5
Clark's Nutcracker-10
Common Raven-5
Mountain Chickadee-5
Chestnut-backed Chickadee-3, Pacific silver fir grove above Tipsoo Lake
Red-breasted Nuthatch-5
Golden-crowned Kinglet-3
Townsend's Solitaire-2
American Robin-125, conspicuous in all the meadows
Varied Thrush-3
American Pipit-1, overhead
Cedar Waxwing-3, overhead
Yellow Warbler-1, surprising at this altitude?
Yellow-rumped (Audubon's) Warbler-10
Townsend's Warbler-2
Chipping Sparrow-5
Dark-eyed (Oregon) Junco-110, mostly in several loose flocks, one numbering
about 40
Cassin's Finch-2
Pine Siskin-5

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA