Hello Tweeters,
Went birding at Naches Pass with Carol Schulz yesterday, June 4th. The
semi-highlight was a male Red-naped Sapsucker at Government Meadows, which is
a couple miles west of the Cascade Crest in Pierce County.
We started the day with a couple brief spots at Federation Forest at about
7:30. At the interpretive center we had a singing HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER. Up
the road we had an adult and 1 young AMERICAN DIPPER under an old bridge that
goes over Slippery Creek and a pair of COMMON MERGANSER on the White River.
About 1 mile up FR 70 we had many (at least 10) singing SWAINSON'S THRUSHES,
TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS, and singing BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS.
On the pioneer trail I had a drumming RUFFED GROUSE (which only drummed
once, unfortunately) and a TOWNSEND'S WARBLER singing a song very similar
(but slightly buzzier) to a Hermit Warbler.
About 6 or 7 miles up FR 70 we made several stops and I whistled a N. Pygmy
Owl at every stop. Most of the time, I got an amazing response, suggesting
that there are Pygmy Owls in the area. Each toot seemed to bring in more and
more birds, until once there were about 25 birds of various species that had
me surrounded. The species included TOWNSEND'S and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS,
DARK-EYED JUNCO, CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES, and others. Also at one of these
stops was a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER. Near the top of Naches Pass, we birded
Government Meadow rather extensively. It was very cold (34 degrees F) and
breezy, but the birds didn't seem to mind. The meadow is very wet this time
of year, and the various wildflowers are just popping out. Birds here
included:

10 Slate-colored (P. l. schistacea) Fox Sparrows on breeding territory
7 Ruby-crowned Kinglet (also on breeding territory)
2 Yellow Warblers (seem out of place in this coniferous area)
1 male Red-naped Sapsucker (mentioned above)
5 Hermit Thrushes (on territory)
3 Olive-sided Fycatchers

Just east of the crest I had 2 GRAY JAYS. Then we continued east on FR 1914
and then FR 19 to the Little Naches River, where we had many DUSKY
FLYCATCHERS at close range, both calling and singing. We continued onto the
Little Naches Campground, an interesting birding area. It has lots of low,
shrubby bushes, short alders, pines, various species of firs, some spruces,
and even some Western Larches. At this location we saw:

2 Western Tanagers
2 MacGillivray's Warblers
1 Nashville Warbler
3 Cassin's Vireos
1 male Calliope Hummingbird

We then drove back west, and our last stop of the day was back near
Greenwater at a Fire Station. There is a road that goes behind the fire
station and into some odd habitat which is mainly young pines (obviously
planted). Only a couple bird here, including a WILLOW FLYCATCHER and a
BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER.

Species seen/heard:
1. Great Blue Heron
2. Canada Goose
3. Mallard
4. Common Merganser
5. Turkey Vulture
6. Red-tailed Hawk
7. Bald Eagle
8. Ruffed Grouse
9. Killdeer
10. Glaucous-winged Gull
11. Rock Dove
12. Band-tailed Pigeon
13. Vaux's Swift
14. Calliope Hummingbird
15. Rufous Hummingbird
16. Red-breasted Sapsucker
17. Red-naped Sapsucker
18. Hairy Woodpecker
19. Northern Flicker
20. Olive-sided Flycatcher
21. Pacific-slope Flycatcher
22. Willow Flycatcher
23. Hammond's Flycatcher
24. Dusky Flycatcher
25. Warbling Vireo
26. Cassin's Vireo
27. Steller's Jay
28. Gray Jay
29. Common Raven
30. American Crow
31. Northern Rough-winged Swallow
32. Violet-green Swallow
33. Cliff Swallow
34. Barn Swallow
35. Black-capped Chickadee
36. Chestnut-backed Chickadee
37. Bushtit
38. Red-breasted Nuthatch
39. Bewick's Wren
40. Winter Wren
41. American Dipper
42. Golden-crowned Kinglet
43. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
44. Varied Thrush
45. American Robin
46. Swainson's Thrush
47. Hermit Thrush
48. European Starling
49. Cedar Waxwing
50. Nashville Warbler
51. Yellow Warbler
52. Yellow-rumped Warbler
53. Black-throated Gray Warbler
54. Townsend's Warbler
55. MacGillivray's Warbler
56. Wilson's Warbler
57. Western Tanager
58. Black-headed Grosbeak
59. Spotted Towhee
60. White-crowned Sparrow
61. Fox Sparrow
62. Song Sparrow
63. Dark-eyed Junco
64. Brown-headed Cowbird
65. Red-winged Blackbird
66. Brewer's Blackbird
67. Evening Grosbeak
68. Purple Finch
69. House Finch
70. Red Crossbill
71. Pine Siskin
72. American Goldfinch
73. House Sparrow

Good Birding!

Charlie Wright, 12
Birdking88 at aol.com
Sumner, WA