Good morning Tweets, I explored some new country for myself today. I left my house at around 6:00am and headed towards Minot Peak. I drove up Delezene Rd. to just before the scout camp and then headed up the P-line. The area is mostly fragmented forest with large clearcuts. I added 3 new species to my year list from this little trip. The first being a lone Western Tanager that I found on top of a fir tree. Second, I was happy to hear the drumming of a Blue Grouse coming from a pocket of dense alder trees. Lastly, I was stopped along a stream buffer listening to singing of several birds when I picked out a Swainson's Thrush song. I looked and looked for it and found it up on top of a tree. I went to setup my spotting scope to get a good look at it but when I went to put it in the scope it had flown away. I also had a flycatcher singing in a tree and after looking at my bird books and listening to the different songs I am leaning towards a Pacific-slope Flycatcher but I'm not totally sure so I'm not going to count it. I'm hoping to get out and explore more of this area soon.

I also made a quick stop at Vance Creek County Park here in Elma on the way home. There were several Tree and V-G swallows flying around the main pond. On the pond, I had one Pied-billed Grebe and one Western Grebe. Also, I did get a good view of one of the adult Osprey that have the nest on the snag on the opposite side of Wenzel Slough Rd..

This coming holiday weekend I am heading up to Lake Hancock which is located north of North Bend at about 2000 feet in elevation. I'm hoping to pickup some new species up there. If anyone has any tips on finding mountain birds, I would love to hear them.

Tim O'Brien
Elma, WA
mailto: kertim7179 at centurytel.net

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