Hi folks,

Took a day off from work today to volunteer for the US Forest Service/Black Hills Audubon/
Partners in Flight's point count up in the Hood Canal Ranger District. This is the 6th year that
they've been doing these counts, so they've built up quite a baseline of information. Elizabeth
Milliman at the Hood Canal Ranger District is the USFS coordinator for the project.

The count consists of 10 'points', where all birds seen (rarely) or heard are counted for 8
minutes at each station, then off to the next one. I did my stations above the S Fork of
the Skok and Rule Creek (T 23 N, R 6 W). Scott Richardson did another set of 10 in
the same general area.

I was 'guided' to the stations (you'd think that I could find them by myself after 6 years?...)
by USFS timber person Frank Davis - sharp guy, and in *much* better shape than some
one like me who sits behind a computer to work.... We got to the first site at 4:55 a.m.
>From the rain that's now falling, you wouldn't think that the day dawned without a cloud in
the sky!! A light breeze was blowing down the canyon, and the old-growth woods
were *dry*!

These are the birds I recorded at my 10 stops:

Marbled Murrelet - 2 flying down the canyon at the first stop of the morning!
Hairy Woodpecker - 2 at 2 stations
Vaux' Swift - heard flying over 1 station
Steller's Jay - 2 at 1 station
Pacific-slope Flycatcher - 13 ; at 8 stations
Winter Wren - 25 ; recorded at all stations
Brown Creeper - 2 at 2 stations
Chestnut-backed Chickadee - 6 at 3 stns
Golden-crowned Kinglet - 12 at 7 stns
Western Tanager - 2 at 2 stns
Hermit Thrush - 4 at 3 stns
Varied Thrush - 19 at 9 stns
Hutton's Vireo - 1 at 1 stn
Wilson's Warbler - 2 ; one in vine maple understory & 1 in deep woods!!!
Red Crossbill - 6 ; fly-overs at 3 stations
Oregon Junco - 3 at 3 stations, all pretty 'open' (rock outcrops, etc.)

In-between stops or on the trail in and out, we heard/saw Black-throated Gray Warbler,
Flicker, Robin, Rufous Hummingbird, Willow Flycatcher and Swainson's Thrush.
Didn't come across any grouse, band-tailed pigeons, Townsend's/Hermit Warblers, Ravens,
or hawks (although the woods got *real* quiet for a couple of minutes at one stop....
I wonder if there wasn't an accipiter skulking about?). Saw a rabbit and vole, and a few
deer en route. Also, one Really Skookum banana slug crawling up the stem of a Devil's
Club!! Gotta respect anything that can grab onto those thorns....

Not a big list, but what a beautiful morn to spend in the old-growth!! Even if it *was*
"working".

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, Washington
festuca at olywa.net