Sounds like a typical late summer trip to Burroughs Mtn: a post-breeding
Prairie Falcon hunting the high mountain meadows,a few fleeting glimpses of
rosy-finches, entertaining looks at pipits on their summer turf, and no
ptaramigians to be seen.

--Jerry <tangren at wsu.edu>

>I spent the weekend up at Mt. Rainier with some non-birders, but did a
>little casual birding up at Sunrise and found a few good birds, most
>notably an adult PRAIRIE FALCON from sourdough ridge at about 6500 feet.
>The bird was plainly visible as it rapidly crossed a valley meadow,
>showing a pale upperside and characteristic dark axillaries and coverts,
>and only light markings on the breast. It briefly perched on the ridge
>and then flew off eastward. The Breeding Bird Atlas does not show prairie
>falcons as far west as Mt. Rainier and I would be interested in learning
>if there are any other records.
>
>I was hoping to spot a ptarmigan, but no such luck. Other interesting
>species noted from the trail up to Burroughs Mountain included:
>
>RING-BILLED GULL- a flock of 20 at 7000 feet
>CLARK'S NUTCRACKER
>GRAY JAY
>MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE
>WINTER WREN- gleening insects in the open off heather
>TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE
>HERMIT THRUSH
>VARIED THRUSH
>AMERICAN PIPIT- several across the alpine tundra
>TOWNSEND'S WARBLER
>YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER- audubon's
>FOX SPARROW- numerous
>GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCH- heard calling but seen only fleetingly, like most
>of my rosy-finch sightings.
>
>Notable mammals included a black bear scene in the same valey as the
>prairie falcon, numerous hoary marmots, and a pica.
>
>- Tim Perkins
>Sammamish, WA