Subject: ptarmigan
Date: Aug 27 06:52:12 1999
From: Marvin Cooper - mcoop at api.com


Like Denny Granstand recently, I took the Wednesday afternoon off (my second
effort in two weeks) to climb to the Fremont lookout in Mt Rainier Park. I
had only slightly better luck than he did, seeing a pair of very pale
gray-crowned rosy finches very near the top of the trail. From the lookout I
spotted a red-tail soaring well below me. My one other bird was a Clark's
nutcracker, almost back to the parking lot. I guess I wasn't born to see a
white-tailed ptarmigan either... I had the similar consolation of great
views of the mountain, lots of butterflies and now two rolls of wildflower
pictures.

snip:
That sounds like my trip up Mr Fremont in Mt. Rainier NP last Friday looking
for ptarmigan. After everyone had seen them there the previous weekend I
took the day off work and my wife and I went for a hike + ptarmigan hunt.
>From the time I left the parking lot at Sunrise until I got back, I did not
get a single bird in my binoculars. After searching the area where others
had seen the ptarmigan for an hour I finally gave up. That leaves me 0-7
for ptarmigan in Washington state.

I did get some good mosquito bites, though, and did see lots of butterflies
and flowers. And it was a gorgeous day with an incredible mountain in view
most of the time. But, still, no ptarmigan.


Marvin Cooper
Seattle