Hi Tweets,



Our goal Tuesday was to make the Taneum-Manastash Loop, but we got started late, stopped at the Bandera Exit off I-90, took the old highway from Denny Creek to Snoqualmie Pass, stopping to listen in the woods, paused at Alpental Resort, and checked out the marsh on Stampede Pass Rd. So when we arrived at Taneum Canyon it was 11:30 am, and beautiful, sunny weather just wouldn't let us hurry.



We birded the lower canyon, then took the road up to Moonlight Canyon (high clearance vehicle necessary), an enchantingly peaceful place, where we ate our lunch joined by Black-headed Grosbeak, Townsend's and Yellow-rumped Warblers, a flicker, juncos, Olive-sided Flycatcher, and Cassin's Finch, all accompanied by the almost constant hooting of a Blue Grouse we couldn't locate.



Then we returned to the valley bottom and birded near Taneum Campground for Yellow and Wilson's Warblers, Warbling Vireo, Spotted Towhee, Rough-winged Swallows, and were startled by the drumming of a Ruffed Grouse just a few yards away. I hadn't realized how loud they can be -- it seemed almost that a truck was about to emerge from the willows near us.



Gnat Flat is located up Forest Service Rd 3330, and is described as being very good for birds in the green ABA Guide, but we found this area has been logged and the fine habitat for birds there destroyed. But back down the road at the six mile marker we birded a scenic campsite with great views into the mountains and furnished with juncos, Townsend's Warblers, a Western Tanager, and finally, a male Williamson's Sapsucker. Total for a fine day to be outdoors: 64 species seen.



Great Blue Heron (over I-90 near Cle Elum)

Mallard (3 over I-90 in Mercer Island)

Turkey Vulture

Osprey

Red-tailed Hawk

American Kestrel

Blue Grouse (heard)

Ruffed Grouse (heard)

California Quail

Rock Pigeon

Mourning Dove

Vaux's Swift (several overhead at Bandera)

Rufous Hummingbird

Williamson's Sapsucker

Northern Flicker

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Western Wood-pewee

Gray Flycatcher (likely, but silent bird in open ponderosa woods)

Pacific-slope Flycatcher (1 calling near Taneum Campground)

Western Kingbird

Tree Swallow

Violet-green Swallow

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Cliff Swallow

Barn Swallow

Cedar Waxwing

American Dipper

Winter Wren

American Robin

Varied Thrush

Black-capped Chickadee

Mountain Chickadee

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Steller's Jay

Black-billed Magpie

American Crow

Common Raven

European Starling

Warbling Vireo

Nashville Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler (1 Audubon's male in Moonlight Canyon)

Black-throated Gray Warbler

Townsend's Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Wilson's Warbler

Western Tanager

Spotted Towhee

Chipping Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Black-headed Grosbeak

Red-winged Blackbird

Western Meadowlark

Brewer's Blackbird

Brown-headed Cowbird

Bullock's Oriole

Cassin's Finch

House Finch

American Goldfinch

House Sparrow



Paul Webster

Seattle

paul.websterATcomcast.net