Subject: Paradise Ptarmigan
Date: Aug 12 20:01:35 2003
From: Bill and Nancy LaFramboise - wlafra at owt.com



Kathy & Tweets,

Here's our ptarmigan saga.

White-tailed Ptarmigan was the last "catch-up" bird Nancy needed to once
again have even lifelists with Bill. Bill saw his ptarmigan (a pair) on a
hike up Burroughs Mountain trail out of Sunrise in 1993. Nancy had stayed
behind on the trail with our daughter.

After that, we tried for ptarmigan many times including one day out of
Sunrise when Andy Stepniewski and Steve Pink were coming off the trail as
we headed up. They told us all about the trail and location of their
sighting. By the time we got up the trail, it had fogged in and no birds
could be found (Another 8 miles for naught!). We were in Colorado this
April and were determined to hike Guanella Pass. Less than a week before
that trip they had 8 feet of snow and the pass was
closed.

After 10 years and at least 15 hikes in 3 different states, the current
batch of ptarmigan ended the nemesis searching for Nancy on July 27.

Bill & Nancy LaFramboise


>
>So I have a question for those Tweeters who made the trek. How many of
>you have made multiple attempts in the past (how many times) to find this
>tough to see bird? And how many of you were either new birders and/or
>lucky the first time around to see this bird. I hate to admit I belong
>to the latter category. I think the Ptarmigan has been the hit of the
>summer and what a lovely place to go looking for it.
>
>Kathy
>
>Kathy Andrich
>Roosting in Renton
><mailto:chukarbird at yahoo.com>chukarbird at yahoo.com

Bill & Nancy LaFramboise
wlafra at owt.com
Richland, WA