In case any one is confused as I am about the distribution of our "new" grouse species, I wanted to report a sighting of a Sooty Grouse in case anyone is working on their distribution in WA. I saw a confirmed male Sooty Grouse (yellow air sacs) displaying within the Mud Lake burn off of HWY 410 just west of Naches. This is a dry ponderosa pine dominated site on the edge of the shrub steppe and I was quite surprised to find the "coastal form" of blue grouse in this location. Of note, the bird was displaying on the ground, with the majority of blue grouse in my past experience displaying in trees on the east side.

Jeff Kozma
Yakima