======================
8/18/06

Also, Cougar Divide is a splendid ridge to check out, or was back in 1988, etc.

Phil Hotlen
Bellingham, WA
-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: taylorrt at comcast.net
> Stan and Tweeters,
>
> Interesting, when Gina and hiked into Excelsior Pass up by Mt Baker last weekend
> and took the more difficult (but short) hike up to the north little dome, we had
> outstanding views of a pair of swifts. They were at very close range from time
> to time and circling and crossing over the approximately mile high dome (hard to
> watch them because of the spectacular view with not even a single tree
> blocking!). One was a Black Swift and the other was a Vaux's Swift. The flight
> style was very different plus size and color differences were completely
> apparent and as rough approximation the Black was twice the size of the Vaux's
> (now I am going to have to look up the sizes and see how close a guess that
> was). There were no other birds anywhere in the area at that time but on Yellow
> Aster Butte Trail and on Skyline Divide there were way more American Robins than
> I thought would be in that habitat but none on Excelsior in similar appearing
> habitat.
>
> A couple of Turkey Vultures were below us on Skyline Divide and another hiker
> drew our attention to a Pheasant/Grouse that was a female Blue with at least one
> juvenile. I am not going to try to call it a Sooty or Dusky based on the
> conversations on range or determination by tail color, etc. Besides it was in
> deep shade and I didn't want to be guitly of harassing it out into the open.
>
> Baker, Shuksan and dozens of other peaks in Canada and NW Washington were
> crystal clear. A good reason to hike through the forest for a couple of miles
> and get out in the open and 'ridge-run'. One fellow we met comes out from
> Chicago for a week every year so that he can just to get up 'high' and see the
> mountains.
>
>
> Bob Taylor
> Bonney Lake, WA
> taylorrt at comcast.net
>
>
> -------------- Original message --------------
> From: stan Kostka lynn Schmidt <lynnandstan at earthlink.net>
>
> > As I sat on the mile high summit of Mount Pilchuck this morning, a
> > pair of Black Swifts rolled lazily over the ridge immediately west of
> > the lookout. Moving from north to south, they passed by, easily
> > within twenty meters of my perch, twittering as they drifted by,
> > off to the south, over a sea of clouds. By far the closest I have
> > ever been to a Black Swift.
> >
> > Stan Kostka
> > lynnandstan at earthlink.net
> > Arlington
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Tweeters mailing list
> > Tweeters at u.washington.edu
> http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters


-------------- next part --------------
An embedded message was scrubbed...
From: taylorrt at comcast.net
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Snohomish County Black Swifts
Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2006 05:12:37 +0000
Size: 6584
Url: http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/pipermail/tweeters/attachments/20060818/46240b50/attachment.mail