Hi Tweeters -
Today I returned to the Naches Pass area in the Cascades and at the
southeast corner of King County. It was a clear, beautiful day, with
only a few logging trucks and elk hunters around to stir up the dust
on the roads. [directions below]

In the morning, I wandered around Government Meadows [elev ~4800],
right at Naches Pass, hoping for some interesting birds. Although
pleasant, nothing too surprising turned up while there:
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS - all over the place.
TOWNSEND'S WARBLER - 1. Last week in a visit here, I'd have estimated
TOWAs to be almost as numerous as the ubiquitous YRWAs. This week,
almost all were gone.
NASHVILLE WARBLER - 1
MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER - 1 or 2
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER - 2-3
WESTERN TANAGER - quite a few around
CASSIN'S FINCH - 1 small flock flew in for a few minutes
GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW - my first for the season, and a chance for me
to learn a little about the southward migration route of GCSP
LINCOLN'S SPARROW - a few around still
SAVANNAH SPARROW - last week I think I saw zero, this week they were
the most common sparrow by a long margin. Must be moving through.
COOPER'S HAWK - 1 or 2
GRAY JAY - many, including 2 that rode on my head & hand for a while...

I spent the afternoon a short drive away from Govt Meadows on FR7036,
up on the cascade crest a little north of Windy Gap [elev 5?00 ft].
My plan was to look west from a great vantage point and hope for some
raptors. In all, I spent 4 hours in this spot [directions below] and
had a very enjoyable afternoon. While there wasn't a crowd of raptors
going by [too early yet], I did end up with a nice mix:

BALD EAGLE- 1 adult, cruising north - a pretty unexpected bird, given
the location.
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK - 2
NORTHERN GOSHAWK - 2 - one buzzed me from behind, the other was busy
chasing a raven and being chased by a Sharpie
RED-TAILED HAWK - maybe 6 or so [difficult because a few were
definitely 'locals']
GOLDEN EAGLE - 1 adult. Finally, a King Co nemesis bird graced me
with a long look
TURKEY VULTURES - 8, including 5 in one kettle.
AMERICAN PIPIT - 10-15 flying by
In the air, most of the afternoon was a good-sized mixed flock of
VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS & VAUX'S SWIFTS.
The row of snags just below my lookout point was also an active
stopover point for passerines. Good birds there included:
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD - 1 pair
TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE - 1
CASSIN'S FINCH - several around most of the afternoon

All in all, a good day.

Matt Bartels
Seattle WA

Directions: [Delorme p65 ~ D-5
NACHES PASS/GOVT MEADOWS: From Seattle, it seems to take about 1.5-2
hrs if you don't run into traffic. Take 410 east from Enumclaw,
crossing into Pierce County at Greenwater. 2 miles later, turn left
onto FR 70. In just under 9 miles, FR 70 crosses back into King Co
and starts heading up. At approx. 16.2 miles from the 410 turn-off,
look for a left turn onto a road marked FR260 spurs off to the north.
About 1/4 mile up FR260, the Naches Wagon trail crosses the road.
Park, and take this to the right. Government meadows will eventually
appear on your right, and there is a parking spot [though the road
wagon trail is ORV suitable only]. The birdiest parts of the meadows
seem to be at the far eastern edge, most easily reached by continuing
through the trees along the wagon trail until it opens out onto the
meadows, perhaps a mile or so from the ORV parking lot. Much of the
activity is along the edges of the meadow, so bring boots for the mud
& water that is still present.

FR7036, along the Cascade Ridge:
Follow the above directions to get onto FR 70. 8 miles from the 410
intersection, turn left onto FR 7030. In about 1/3 mile, 7030 crosses
the river and you are back in King County. Continue on 7030 almost 4
miles until reaching a T-intersection. Turn right, onto 7036 [not
marked as such, I think]. Continue on this just under 4 miles,
choosing the biggest/main road option whenever forks in the road
occur. After passing through some 2nd growth, the road eventually
climbs up to near the crest. I stopped at a crest-point in the road,
where a row of snags was visible just west and below the road. Note
that this road is a bit rougher than FR70 - with a washboard surface.
Nevertheless, my little Hyundai Accent seems ok on it.

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