Left home in Seattle Wednesday 7/4 for a long week end of birding. I hoped
to see WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN and SPRUCE GROUSE at Hart's Pass/Slate Peak,
but no luck with either bird. Camped at Hart's Pass CG Wed and Thu. The
consolation prize (tongue in cheek, of course) was a fine look at a female
PINE GROSBEAK. She was perched on a fallen log .6 miles from the campground
along the road to Chandeler. (FR 700?) This is just before the large
meadow. At Slate Peak were 3, 4 or more GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCHES.
TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES were singing as were FOX SPARROWS (Slate-colored). By
the way, Hart's Pass CG is now a fee area. So is Loup Loup CG.

At Washington Pass on 7/4 prior to arriving at Hart's Pass I didn't find
PINE GROSBEAK or WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL, but I had a BLACK-CHINNED
HUMMINGBIRD. It was either a female or a juvenile.

I also birded Cameron Lake Road starting at Okanogan. Just south of Little
Goose Lake I heard GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS. Shortly after that I heard a
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW in a thicket. Duley Lake had a few peeps, a GREATER
YELLOWLEGS, but not many shorebirds at all. There was a very good
assortment of ducks, etc including EARED GREBES. A pair of CASPIAN TERNS
briefly flew over the lake as did 1 TURKEY VULTURE. Also at Duley Lake were
GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS. It was a treat for me to drive within 20 feet of a
singing GRSP and observe until I had my fill.

Then I headed for Liberty in Kittitas County to camp and listen for owls.
At about 11:00PM I bumped into Faye McAdams and Diane Yorgason-Quinn. We
birded together for about 2 hours. Although we could not confirm the
presence of a FLAMMULATED OWL, we did hear 3 SPOTTED OWLS as well as a
NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL.

Marv Breece
Seattle, WA