Subject: Kittitas birding
Date: Jul 6 12:38:40 2004
From: Lynn Schulz - linusq at worldnet.att.net


Hi Jack and Tweeters:
On June 23 I did a trip in Kittitas County called Taneum Creek and
Manastash Creek. It's in the new "A Birder's Guide To Washington" on
pg 292, w/ the map on pg 295. It's a loop drive in the mountains NW
of Ellensburg. You exit at Elk Heights, travel up Taneum Creek to
Buck Meadows and you come back down on Manastash Creek. It's back
country on wide gravel roads. I heard singing Pacific-slope
Flycatchers down in the areas around 2000 to 2500 ft in elevation. I
had one of the best views that I have ever had of one of them as I
drove in on Taneum Crk Rd, and neared some cliffs by the road. There
was a riparian area across the road from the cliffs. The flycatcher
buzzed my head, and landed in a small bush next to the cliff by the
road. It was perched about 15 ft away, just above eye level. It had
a beak full of insects that it was obviously taking to a nest. Quite
greenish in color (more than the books show), a "crest" on its head,
and it had a large bill and an eye ring. The Pac-slopes were calling
in this area along the riparian zone at about 2000 feet. There were
also calling Western Wood-Pewees. Farther up at 2400 ft I heard a
Hammond's Flycatcher. There were firs in that area. As I gained in
elevation, I searched for woodpeckers. The forests are fragmented as
you go up on the Taneum Creek side due to logging, and I was
unsuccessful trying to find 3-toed Woodpeckers.
The loop took me up to Buck Meadows and other areas w/ the highest
elev being 4900 ft. At the higher elevations around 4400 feet I could
hear several Olive-sided Flycatchers. I think I should have gone
earlier in the year as it was hot and dry up there. Buck Meadows has
a huge system of trails for off-road vehicles and I was glad to be up
there on a week day when there were no people.
The scenery was pretty but the birding was pretty slow. It got better
in late afternoon as I got down to another riparian area on Manastash
Creek at around 2300 ft. I stopped and walked in at S Riggs Canyon Rd
and heard a Pacific-slope Flycatcher there. There were also several
WWPewees.
I'm thinking of going back there some other year in late May or early
June. (Earlier in the year when it is easier to see the active
birds.) And I will go really early in the morning because it got hot
in the afternoon. It was 98 degrees when I came out down near
Ellensburg on Manastash Rd.
Jack, I hope my message helps you decide whether or not you had a
Pac-slope Fly. I think you did, based on the greenish color.
Yours, Carol Schulz
DesMoines, WA
mailto:linusq at att.net

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jack Stephens" <jstephens62 at comcast.net>
To: "Tweeters" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 2004 10:13 AM
Subject: Kittitas birding


.. We had a quick look at a silent Empid that remained
| unidentified, but I suspect that it was a Pacific-Slope Flycatcher
since it
| was very bright, with strong olive color on the back and lots of
yellow on
| the underparts. We didn't get a good look at the head before it
flew. Is
| there anyone out there who would be willing to call an Empid based
on these
| characteristics? For me, it is best left to genus only.
|
| Good birding,
|
| Jack Stephens
| Edmonds, WA
| jstephens62 at comcast.net
|
|
|