BEAR CREEK MOUNTAIN
30 JULY 2000

July heat has settled in over eastern Washington, prompting an escape to the
high country for Ellen and myself. Bear Creek Mountain (7,360') east of
White Pass was the chosen day hike. A rough road (Forest Road 1204) leaves
the Tieton Rd. and ascends to 6,000.' The trail traverses a long, meadowy
slope, bordered by Mountain Hemlock and Subalpine Firs, then a short but
steep and rocky ascent to the summit where there are great views of the
Cascade volcanoes.

En route, we stopped at various wet meadows along the Tieton Road south of
Rimrock Lake, where dense thickets of Mountain Alder rimmed by (dominants)
Engelmann Spruce, Grand Fir, Western Larch and Douglas Fir. These alder
thickets and nearby conifers were swarming with birds, with many juveniles
lisping, begging and "learning the ropes." Notable here was a Red-breasted
Sapsucker and two Orange-crowned Warblers.

The hike to Bear Creek Mountain passes many Subalpine Fir thickets,
alternating with taller, densely lichen-festooned Subalpine Firs. These
"thickets" were attractive to many up-slope wanderers: Chestnut-backed
Chickadee (highly unusual in my experience above the closed-forest
Subalpine Zone),
Mountain Chickadee, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Nashville, Yellow-rumped
(Audubon's), and Townsend's Warblers. Local breeders such as Dark-eyed
(Oregon) Junco and Chipping Sparrow, and Pine Siskin were also abundant in
these areas. Though the north face of Bear Creek Mtn. was snowy (a small
cirque) and might be suitable for Gray-crowned Rosy Finch and American
Pipit; these alpine breeders were not detected.

On our return, we observed a brood of Harlequin Ducks along the Tieton
River, my first ever observation of successful breeding in this area. Ellen
spotted them first as we were driving by, perched on riverside rocks. We
later watched the nearly grown young swimming along the rivers edge, diving,
and obviously successsfully picking at some food item.

Bird species noted: "Rimrock" refers mostly to the alder thickets along the
Tieton Road.

Mallard - 4, Clear Lake
Harlequin Duck - 3 ? grown young on Tieton River at Milepost 171 besides
Hwy. 12, another female-plumaged larger and darker, I assumed to be the
adult female
Barrow's Goldeneye - 4, young and hen(?) on Clear Lake
Common Merganser - 9 nearly grown young on Clear Lake
Peregrine Falcon - wailing on cliffs north of Clear Lake
Ruffed Grouse - adult female and several young east end Rimrock Lake, in
aspens
Spotted Sandpiper - 1 on Tieton River at Milepost 173 by Hwy. 12
California Gull - 3, 1st-year birds on Clear Lake
Common Nighthawk - 2, Rimrock
Rufous Hummingbird - several flying south several hundred feet above Cascade
crest on Bear Creek Mountain
Belted Kingfisher - 1, Clear Lake
Red-naped Sapsucker - 1, Rimrock
Red-breasted Sapsucker - 1, Rimrock
Williamson's Sapsucker - 1, in pines, Rimrock
Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker - widespread
Olive-sided Flycatcher - 1, spruce and firs south Tieton Rd, Rimrock
Western Wood-Pewee - 3, Rimrock
Hammond's Flycatcher - 5+, Rimrock, calling, fragments of song
Violet-green Swallow - 200+ on wires, mouth of South Fork of Tieton River,
Rimrock
Gray Jay - Rimrock, Bear Creek Mtn. trail
Steller's Jay - Rimrock
Clark's Nutcracker - Rimrock, Bear Creek Mtn. trail
American Crow - Milepost 175, Hwy. 12 by Tieton River
Common Raven - 15 overhead, Rimrock, also Bear Creek Mtn. trail
Black-capped Chickadee - 5, Rimrock
Mountain Chickadee - widespread on Bear Creek Mtn. trail
Chestnut-backed Chickadee - Rimrock, also Subalpine Firs on Bear Creek Mtn.
trail in stunted trees
Red-breasted Nuthatch - widespread
Winter Wren - Bear Creek Mtn.
Golden-crowned Kinglet - widespread, also 35+ in several roving groups in
stunted Subalpine Fir on Bear Creek Mtn. trail
Hermit Thrush - 1, Bear Creek Mtn. trail
American Robin - widespread
Cedar Waxwing - Rimrock
Cassin's Vireo - 2+, Rimrock, singing
Warbling Vireo - Rimrock, singing
Orange-crowned Warbler - 2, Rimrock, stunted brush (Spirea) near Mountain
Alder
Nashville Warbler - 3+ at Rimrock, also 3+ on Bear Creek Mtn. trail in
stunted Subalpine Firs
Yellow Warbler - 10+, Rimrock, still some singing
Yellow-rumped(Audubon's) Warbler - 10, widespread, still some singing
Townsend's Warbler - 5, Bear Creek Mtn., stunted firs
MacGillivray's Warbler - 3, Rimrock
Western Tanager - 5, Rimrock
Black-headed Grosbeak - 1, Rimrock
Chipping Sparrow - 15, Rimrock, 20, Bear Creek Mtn. Many juveniles, begging
calls
Song Sparrow - 3, Rimrock
Dark-eyed (Oregon) Junco - Rimrock, Bear Creek Mtn. trail, many at summit
Pine Grosbeak - 2, Bear Creek Mtn. trail, Subalpine Firs. Brief singing
warble, also "chee-vlee" call, and Greater Yellowlegs-like "Klee-klee" call
with "finch" quality, the latter a call I wasn't familiar with
Pine Siskin - widespread, commonest bird heard and seen
Evening Grosbeak - 5, Rimrock; several in flight over Bear Creek Mtn.

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato Wa
Steppie at nwinfo.net