Hi Tweets,

Yesterday (6/23) a friend and I hiked about 13 miles (round trip) on the
Necklace Valley Trail
(http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/recreation/activities/trails/srd/srd_1062.htm). It was beautiful out and very warm. About a mile before the
parking area for the trail (on Road #68) we saw a RUFFED GROUSE with three
chicks, which was quite the treat. Along the actual trail we saw (in order seen):
Winter Wren
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Gray Jay (juvenile)
Pileated Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Sharp-shinned Hawk
American Robin
Song Sparrow
Wilson's Warbler
Western Tanager
Red-tailed Hawk
Vaux's Swift
American Dipper
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Osprey
Spotted Sandpiper

Heard:
Pacific Slope Flycatcher
Steller's Jay
Bald Eagle

We saw many bear tracks, scat and clawed trees but never an actual bear. We
also saw Pacific Treefrogs and Red-legged Frogs and an unknown species of bat.

Some neat plants were also blooming including: Piggy-back Plant, Blueberry,
White Bog Orchid, Marsh Cinquefoil, Red Columbine, Western Coralroot, Tall
Bluebell, Dwarf Dogwood, Queen's Cup, White Mountain Heather, Pink Mountain
Heather, Western Bog Laurel and Shootingstar. In bud: Rattlesnake Plantain, Fireweed
and Bear Grass.

It's a fun trail and gorgeous this time of year.

Simone Lupson-Cook
Seattle, WA
ZINGIE at aol.com