Tweeters,

Desperate to avoid watching a Sunday afternoon Mariners game I grabbed
my
Binoculars and headed for Snoqualmie Pass. There is an access road for
the upper ski lifts just west of Hyak village and I had the area all to
myself. Without moving from the base of "The Top" upper ski lift turn
around, in less than 15 minutes I observed:
White-crowned Sparrow
Junco
Sooty Fox Sparrow (This one sang real well)
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow Warbler
McGillivray's Warbler (A good looking couple)
Hermit Thrush
and a
Blue Grouse flew up and sat on one of the chairs for me. It was still
there when I left.

The back, west side, of the mountain was pretty slow, with some
Chestnut-backed Chickadees, and I was able to pish up a brilliant pair
of Townsend's Warblers.

AM radio reception is good up there, and in the bottom of the 8th, just
after Randy Winn's double, I drove into the the lair of the Olive-sided
Flycatcher. I've never heard such loud, persistent noise from a
Flycatcher. It was Pip-Pip with neither one of them shutting their beak
for the entire 5-10 minutes I was there.

If this is an important species for someone to find, contact me directly
and I'll try to give you specific directions. None of the roads have
numbers in that location, and if you need to drive all the way to it,
you will probably want a high clearance 4 wheel drive.

There is also a fairly large attractive stand of what appears to be old
growth fir up there. Maybe Spotted Owl habitat?

We ended the day at Gold Creek Pond (page 270 "A Birder's Guide To
Washington.") and got buzzed by a single Vaux's Swift. Also noted were
two C. Waxwings and 4 Spotted Sandpipers.

If you haven't checked out this easy access to I-90 picnic area I
recommend that you do. Its got to be one of the most photogenic spots
in the state. However, they've just made it a NW Forest Parking Pass
required area.

Good birding and go Mariners,

Larry Schwitters
Issaquah