Greetings,

We (Michael and Cynthia Shepard) just returned from two weeks of hiking and
lounging in the mountains of western Washington.

Highlights: WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS, BOREAL CHICKADEES, TUFTED PUFFINS (not
in mountains), MARBLED MURRELETS, PINE GROSBEAK.

It wasn't a particularly birdy trip, but it sure was great to be in the high
elevation flower meadows. Here is a brief summary of the birding highlights

July 30, 2001
PINE GROSBEAK - male observed and heard singing at Heart of the Hills
Campground, Olympic National Park (Clallam County)

TUFTED PUFFIN - 8 observed between Cape Flattery and Tatoosh Island (Clallam
County). Having no scope along, we were straining to see the birds at
Tatoosh, when I looked below me to see three floating by the cape at close
range. We could even see them "flying" underwater as they dove.

July 31, 2001
MARBLED MURRELET - A wildlife biologist by trade, I sometimes conduct
surveys for Marbled Murrelets. On the morning of July 29, I had heard a few
murrelets calling over our campsite at Heart of the Hills Campground
(Clallam County). So, I decided to do a busman's holiday on the 31st and
counted murrelets. It was great - before I was out the tent, I heard
wingbeats as the murrelets came in low, then I saw murrelets flying through
the canopy and overhead. They kept coming for about two hours - I ended up
with 103 detections, the last at 7:58 a.m.

August 7, 2001
TURKEY VULTURE - 1 flying over the subalpine near Bear Creek Mountain in the
Goat Rocks Wilderness (Yakima County - T12N, R12E, 8). I'm not used to
seeing them in such habitat.

August 11, 2001
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL - 4 in spruce forest along the trail to the Horseshoe
Basin in the Pasayten Wilderness (Okanogan County - T40N, R23E, 26). Two
males were singing up a storm and one was doing an aerial courtship display.

BOREAL CHICKADEE - 3 in approximately the same area as the crossbills - we
got very close looks at one of the birds, and heard the other two nearby.


Michael Shepard
Victoria, BC
mgshepard at pacificcoast.net