Tweeters,

Just in time for the week end. How about a (reasonably) short drive to
track down some species you don't usually see. The location is French
Cabin Creek. Not to be confused with Cabin Creek. For some of you in
Puget Soundsville it lies less than 100 miles away. Good hard surface
road until the last three miles which can be driven in your Mustang.

I spent 7 hours there yesterday checking out what I could of the string
of waterfalls that are at the bottom of this very impressive canyon.

Some of the less common "over here" birds I stumbled across were:

Lots of Pine Siskins
A large family of Golden-crowned Kinglets
Mountain Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Dusky Flycatcher
Townsend's Solitaire
A pair of Red Crossbills at 15 feet

Then there are the Dippers. Saw an adult. Heard a young begging.
Picnic with the dippers at the top of the first waterfall. As the
gravel road levels out and just pass the junction with the Thorp FS
road there is a dusty little road on the left that will lead back NE
into the canyon and shortly right up to the waterfall. It's a pleasant
spot. Pick up some Subways on the way.

Lots of Vaux's Swifts, but no Blacks, and hundreds of Violet Green
Swallows back at the Cle Elum River at dusk.

Brian Swan gives directions and cautions for this area on his
Waterfalls of the PNW web site.
http://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/waterfall.php?num=2291&p=0

Larry Schwitters
Issaquah