17 early risers met at sunrise(5:15am) hoping for great birds at the parking lot at Slate Peak up the road from Harts Pass. The day
before had produced 1-female White-tailed Ptarmigan seen by Patrick Sullivan, 1 Three-toed Woodpecker at Harts Pass Campground heard
first by Charlie Wright, White-winged Crossbills found by the Sullivans at Washington Pass and Sat. seen by Marv Breece and I had a
couple down in the Slate Creek Valley on Fri.

Friday night some of us tried owling only to hear Common Poorwills in Whatcom Co. Patrick had 2 Great Horned Owls before sunrise
below the campground. Earlier many Black Swifts moved northwest through the campground heading for their roost flying just above
the trees.

Sat. morning while looking for ptarmigan produced Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches seen the day before by Rachel Lawson. The heather which
ptarmigan like to eat hadn't produce any new growth or flowers yet although there were several alpine flowers in bloom. After a
couple of hours of no ptarmigan we tried for Spruce Grouse down Slate Creek. Spruce Grouse should be hatching eggs about this time
of year, but none were found by our group even though other campers had seen grouse on the way into Meadows Campground on Fri.
Boreal Chickadees seen the day before did not respond to tapes on Sat. Maybe the weather was too nice. Patrick nailed down a
Black-backed Woodpecker which we heard, but we could not pull it into the tape. This was quite a ways down Slate Creek and a
quality bird for Whatcom Co.

Washington Pass was next where Clark's Nutcrackers, Gray Jays, and Red-naped Sapsuckers along with a hybrid Red-naped X Red-breasted
showed off to all of us. Playing of the tape for Pine Grosbeaks produced one short song and later found in the mosquito infested
meadow by Charlie Wright and Marv Breece. The Sullivans had seen Pine Grosbeaks here on Friday.

As usual mountain birding proved again difficult, but everyone enjoyed just being in such beautiful county. Thanks to all who
endured the early rising. And thanks to Marv Breece who helped lead this trip.

Ken Knittle
(360) 805-6204 new phone number
xenops at msn.com

PO Box 152
Gold Bar, WA 98251