Saturday (May 18) Bunny (my wife) and I participated in a trail
repair/construction effort at the Bandera Mountain/Mason Lake trail just
this side of Snoqualmie Pass. This effort was organized by the
Volunteers for Outdoor Washington (VOW). To reach the site, we took
exit 45 from I-90, drove under the freeway (north), and then back west
along Forest Service road 9031 to a parking lot at the end. There,
while preparing for trail work, we spotted a female Wild Turkey running
up the hillside above us. This is certainly my first view of this
species in King County, and perhaps in Washington.
Then, about a mile up the trail from the parking where we were doing
our trail work, there was the steady booming of a Blue Grouse in the
evergreens overhead. It's amazing how hard it is to find a bird the
size of a basketball in a not too dense fir while it makes all that
noise. But patience and several observers paid off and we got some good
looks. As the books say, this grouse is tame and not disturbed by folks
crashing around the underbrush trying to get a view. That bird remained
in the tree sounding off regularly for several hours, just like its
latin name: Dendragapus - "Tree lover" suggests. I like to think that
the second name: Obscurus, explains why we have such a hard time finding
it.
And a final unrelated note. After participating in the Seattle
Audubon "new member birdwalk" at Seward Park on May 4, I returned to my
car at the south end parking lot and noticed a strange goose parading
along the shore with the Canadas. It rang a distant bell, and
fortunately my National Geographic Guide bailed me out. It was an
Egyptian Goose (pg. 97). How long has that critter been there? Do you
suppose he came around the other direction to try and rendez-vous with
the Falcated Duck?
And a final note: If you want to participate in the continuing
efforts on the trail, turkey or no turkey, contact VOW at 206-517-4469
for more information. Work parties scheduled every Saturday through the
summer.
Fran Wood (male)
Seattle (Madrona) WA


fbwood at u.washington.edu