Subject: beep-beep
Date: Sep 2 23:19:53 2002
From: hill - hill at cbnn.net


I was in the mountains west of Yakima (Ahtanum Creek drainage) yesterday
afternoon and this morning. Along with the more common local birds were two
male Spruce Grouse, a Three-toed Woodpecker, Blue Grouse being checked out
by a Northern Goshawk, and other Blue Grouse (apparently YOY) that flew and
perched showing a partial crest.

One of the Spruce Grouse posed well for photos. The other was acting like a
roadrunner. It was standing in the middle of an abandoned logging road, and
when I approached it raced one direction, then quickly changed direction and
ran off the road. I located it again behind a small fir tree, and it did
the same thing, racing one direction, then back another way before it
finally flew onto a branch about 10' up. Then it sat there with the typical
concerned look on its face and occasionally ducked its head, but refused to
fly. Probably figured Wiley Coyote couldn't climb the tree.

Randy Hill
Othello