Hi Everyone--

Today 6/29, 4 of us from Portland Audubon explored Silver Star Mtn.
(Skamania Co.), Tarbell Picnic Area (Clark Co.), and the unnamed logging
road that connects them (also Clark Co.). We found 40 bird species, 10
species of butterflies (+ Cinnabar Moth), 25 non-woody plant species, 1
reptile species, and 1 non-primate mammal species. Bird highlights were a
fresh-out-of-the-dustbath RUFFED GROUSE on the logging road, a BLUE GROUSE
heard booming west of the Silver Star Trail (probably still in Skamania Co.,
though), 3 singing ROCK WRENS along the summit ridge, numerous singing
HERMIT WARBLERS at Tarbell Picnic Area, a singing BLACK-THROATED GRAY
WARBLER along the logging road, two HUTTON'S VIREOS engaged in air-to-air
combat over the logging road, and VARIED, HERMIT, and SWAINSON'S THUSHES all
singing in the woods below the summit. We hit a refreshing spate of rain,
and had decent views of 5 Cascadian volcanoes (Rainier, Adams, St. Helens,
Hood, Jefferson).

The butterfly list went as follows:
Clodius Parnassian
Western Tiger Swallowtail
Pale Swallowtail
Anise Swallowtail
Lorquin's Admiral
Boisduval's Blue
Pacific Frittilary
Variable Checkerspot
Pacuvius Duskywing
Sara Orangetip

Garter snake sp. was the reptile, and Douglas Squirrel was the mammal (we
did see a dead Short-tailed Weasel on the trail, though).

Mark Miller
Vancouver, WA
snowyowl98683 at comcast.net
snowyowl98683 at msn.com

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