Tweeters,

Here's a recap of a ptarmigan search in Mt. Rainier National Park yesterday
15 August:

WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGANS ON THE MT. FREMONT LOOKOUT-MT. RAINIER NATIONAL
PARK, 15 AUGUST 1999

For many birders, of us, the recent Tweeters posting by Rick Romea
labeling the elusive White-tailed Ptarmigan as "los pollos diablos," seems
most appropriate. They can be such tough buggers to spot.

Today, a little expedition made their way up to the Mt. Fremont Lookout in
Mt. Rainier National Park, the main objective being White-tailed
Ptarmigan. Included in this group were Steve Pink, his friends from London
Stephen Jackson and Claire Bjoui, Jim Flynn, Ben Feltner and Paul Cozens.

We were delayed at Morse Creek seven miles east of Chinook Pass from Yakima
where we hooted up the neighborhood Barred Owls (which would not come in
for a personal view), so unfortunately missed our appointed rendezvous time
of 0630 with Ben and Paul, who were coming from Seattle.

On the way to Sunrise, our car noted two Blue Grouse by the road not far
below Sunrise (6,100')

The weather looked grim, with fog pretty much enveloping everything.
Fortunately, it lifted occasionally revealing a double cloud deck, one at
about 6,000' and one at perhaps 13,000', so we were encouraged and set off.
I attribute the only partially filled parking lot at Sunrise to the lower
cloud deck...folks in the Puget lowland would awaken to cloud and be
discouraged from making the trip. Their loss! Usually, Sunrise is a mob
scene in August.

On the ascent, we noted American Pipit in the recently snow-free meadows
just above Sunrise, unprecedented in my experience; this species usually
keeps to the alpine zone in the breeding season. Perhaps the immense winter
snowpack which still hasn?t melted (there is still a near-continuous and
deep snowpack in the silver fir forest belt beginning at about the 4,000'
on Cayuse Pass, some of which I predict will persist until the upcoming
winter season!) This may be responsible for some of the odd patterns of
bird distribution this summer in the higher mountains. Fortunately, the
trail from Sunrise to the Mt. Fremont Lookout was evidently designed with
early snowmelt in mind (mostly south-facing location); it was snowfree the
entire distance to the lookout.

At Frozen Lake we noted two very dull-colored Gray-crowned Rosy Finches
(immatures?) And marvelled at the beautiful show of flowers along the way.

Ben and Paul had searched the summit area near the lookoput prior to our
arrival without finding ptarmigan. After we arrived, we spread out some and
Ben?s intuition and experience led him to the right spot! An apparent pair,
probably the same birds Rick Romea and Cindy Sprecher and other other
Washington birders had come across. We watched them peck away at the alpine
vegetation (I failed to notice what plants they were pecking away at).

Was the fact this adult male was associating with a female with no brood
more evidence that the birdlife in this region was experiencing unusual
stress this season? Usually, adult male ptarmigan are off on their own in
bouldery alpine areas in July and August, the hens with their chicks in
wetter areas with alpine seeps (where bugs are presumably abundant,
allowing the chicks to consume a protein-rich diet making for faster growth
than if they just pecked on ?rabbit food?). I would assume this pair had
failed in nesting this season, as Rick and others had watched this male
display before this female.

We also spied on a group of about 20 mountain goats on ledges and meadows
on nearby Skyscraper Mountain just to the southwest of Mt. Fremont, a
?life? mammal for most in our group.

While at the lookout on Mt. Fremont, several of our group watched two
Band-tailed Pigeons zoom by the lookout, an unusual sighting for this
altitude.

On our return to the Sunrise parking area, WOS members Bill and Nancy
LaFramboise were heading up to look for ptarmigan. Nancy had never seen a
ptarmigan; we were able to share news of our success and hoped they would
find the elusive ptarmigan.

Returning east of the Cascade crest, we detoured up the Spring Creek Road
above Cliffdell and located several of the Black-backed Woodpeckers Denny
Granstrand had found in July. One we watched was evidently a juvenile; its
tail appeared not quite grown and there were a few tufts of down sticking
out from its crown, making for an odd hair do.

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA