Subject: WT Ptarmigan - Yes
Date: Aug 9 22:47:30 2003
From: Sherry Hagen - littlebirder at netzero.net


My husband and I went up to Mt. Rainer today (Saturday). It was the first
chance we had to make the trip up there since all the sightings. We took the
counter-clockwise Skyline Trail to the Golden Gate trail and on up to
Panorama Point. But on the way up we found WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN. They were
on Skyline trail about 2/10th of mile past the junction of Golden Gate Trail
and Skyline Trail (go to the left at the junction). As you are going up, you
will see a creek, falls and lots of moss below you on the right side just up
from a snow field. This is just below the Paradise Glaicer area. We first
saw the Ptarmigan down in the green area above the falls. From there they
walked up along the snow field. We went on up to Panorama Point and kept a
look out but no one was finding them up there. On the way back down we found
them further south in the next green area. There was a mother and 2 chicks,
feeding and preening.

Sherry Hagen
Vancouver, WA
littlebirder at netzero.net