Tweeters,

As the closest place to Seattle to observe a good variety of breeding
Eastern Warblers is supposed to be mid East Alberta we decided to spend
the long week end on a run up there.

While our friends at Alaska Airlines provide good service to Edmonton I
knew that leaving at first light and driving hard would get us there
just before dark. Then it's another 200 miles NE to Cold Lake, "Warbler
Capital of Alberta".

We were a few weeks late for prime time, and severe weather and weak
directions didn't help, but 11 hours of fairly intense effort got us
just two eastern warbler species, Ovenbird and Chestnut-sided.
White-throated was the only sparrow reward.

The town of Cold Lake is thriving. The lake is big. The water is cold,
and the mosquitoes are aggressive. I was also expecting more of a wild
boreal forest environment.

Back in the USA we decided to see how close we could get to the
geographical most NE corner of Washington State. Andy Stepniewski
writes about this birding adventure on pages 480-485 of "A Birder's
Guide to Washington".

The gravel road up to a lookout tower on 6828 foot Salmo Mountain is in
great shape. You could make it to the pass in your low rider, but the
last 1000 vertical feet to the tower are a little harsher. You could
probably make it in your Camry. We never kicked in four wheel drive but
appreciated the extra clearance. It's wild, wonderful, and remote up
there. While the low elevation campgrounds were packed, we didn't see
another Homo Sapiens above 3000 feet. I guess most were there to eat
hot dogs, drink beer, and put jet skis into Sullivan Lake.

Early morning birding was better than the weather. There were lots of
Chipping Sparrows, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Juncos, Hermit Thrush, and
good numbers of Pine Grosbeaks. We got marginal looks at a probable
Black-backed Woodpecker and Goshawk, and a better look at White-winged
Crossbill. Also heard a tooting Pygmy-Owl. We really wanted a Boreal
Chickadee, but could only find Mountain and Black-capped.

Further south and back to civilization as we know it, Meadow Road just
West of SR 20 at Cusick produced the to-be-expected Catbird and
Bobolink.

Good birding, and I don't know that you want to drive to Cold Lake.

Larry and Leora Schwitters
Issaquah