Yes, I also believe you are ptarmigan lucky or have a good "ptarmigan
eye". I have hiked and climbed all over the Cascades for the past thirty
five years and have seen them once! We even were out on the Wonderland
Trail (which circles Mount Rainier) for 11 days and didn't see one. And
I was looking!



My only encounter was in the upper Enchantment Lakes near Leavenworth. I
was sitting with outstretched legs in the barren granite basin when I
heard peeping all around me. To my astonishment, Ma ptarmigan hopped up
on my boot and hopped down followed by six youngsters - all up and down
my boot! I was so flabbergasted by this that I didn't think to use the
camera which was in my hand at the time.



I am happy that so many of you have seen this remarkable bird - without
too much effort.



Dave Parent, Freeland WA dpdvm at whidbey.com



-----Original Message-----
From: TWEETERS-owner at u.washington.edu
[mailto:TWEETERS-owner at u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Michael Donahue
Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2003 7:13 PM
To: Tweeters
Cc: floriferous at msn.com
Subject: Re: Have ptarmigan at Paradise become rare?



Rob,

You are extremely ptarmigan lucky. I wouldn't call them rare; they are
fairly widespread in alpine areas, but detection rates are low. Alan
Grenon, who was with me yesterday, spent three summers working as a park
naturalist at Paradise and only saw them twice.



Mike Donahue

Seattle

----- Original Message -----

From: Rob Sandelin <mailto:floriferous at msn.com>

To: tweeters at u.washington.edu

Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2003 8:02 PM

Subject: Have ptarmigan at Paradise become rare?



This recent spate of sightings of this birds makes me wonder if I have
missed something. I have seen Ptarmigans at this location since I was
ten years old, and I can't recall a recent summer trip where I did not
see them. So I have always considered them commonplace at this location.
Kind of like marmots, I would be surprised to hike around Paradise and
NOT see them. Or maybe I am just Ptarmigan lucky? Have they become
unusual? Going up tomorrow to teach a 3 day alpine ecology class and of
course, now that I've mentioned it, I will probably jinx myself and not
see one again for years.....



Rob Sandelin
South Snohomish County at the headwaters of Ricci Creek
Sky Valley Environments <http://www.nonprofitpages.com/nica/SVE.htm>
Field skills training for student naturalists
Floriferous at msn.com



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