Hi all -
I'd put off my first trip of the summer up to Naches Pass for too
long, so today I decided not to let the weather get in my way. Up far
too early, I drove down to the pass area and was birding by sunrise.
The constant rain/drizzle/fog/mist/rain worked hard to keep the birds
hard to find, but many fun birds managed to squeeze into view --

HERMIT WARBLER - 1 singing , pure-looking, male came in close for
great looks. This was early, at campsite by the tree spray-painted
w/ mile 15 on it , on FRS 70.

SOOTY GROUSE - later, around noon, back at the same place, a SOOTY
GROUSE flushed up and perched on a tree branch, at least 50 feet up
in the air. Definitely the highest up I've seen one perched [maybe
I've been looking in the wrong place] - The grouse sat up in the tree
munching on things on the pine needles as I watched from below.

Beyond the highlights, it was great to see some of the 'regulars' for
the area up there:

Lincoln's & Slate-colored Fox Sparrows in good numbers on territory.
A few Chipping Sparrows popped up around the lower meadow.

Also constant Hermit Thrush & Varied Thrush songs echoed around the
meadows. Only one Townsend's Solitaire, near Kelly Butte.

Gray Jays were around both the lower and the upper meadow, asking for handouts.

Townsend's, Yellow, Wilson's, & Yellow-rumped Warblers in good
numbers , along with a couple MacGillivrays.

Olive-sided Flycatchers audible everywhere, and occasionally visible.
Also heard several Hammonds down low and Wilson's up high.

2 Spotted Sandpipers surprised me with their presence at the upper
meadow [along with a pair of Mallards]

The rain, heavy fog/clouds made it pretty impossible to see anything
at a distance, so raptors were completely missing from my view,
except for one Red-tailed late.

Can't wait to get back on a sunny day.

Matt

PS - some logistics below, but a better treatment is coming soon in
Washington Birder....


Road Conditions:
Roads were all snow free at the 3 places I drove -- Naches Wagon
Trail head, Kelly Butte, and the road to Windy Gap. The last road,
toward Windy Gap, was blocked by a large fallen tree a couple miles
past the T-intersection.
The jeep trail to the upper government meadow was the most
snow-covered spot, with lots of mud and pretty deep old snow. The
meadows themselves are pretty much snow-free, but very very wet.

Old directions from earlier emails:
All directions below begin at the intersection of SR 410 and FSR 70,
about 2 miles east of Greenwater. Some of the highest parts of this
route are still snowed in until mid-June at least. In 2006, most all
the unpaved roads were solid and passable in a small passenger car.
The route up to Kelly Butte & Windy Gap (FSR 7030) is a bit rougher
than FSR 70, but still passable.

Government Meadows: Drive 10 miles on FSR 70 to reach the end of the
pavement and last restrooms, just 1 mile after crossing the county
line at the Greenwater River. Continue on the FSR 70, the main road,
as it winds uphill for 5 miles to the "Mile 15 Tree" (campsite and
Red-naped Sapsucker site). Continue 1 mile to intersection with spur
marked 260. Drive or hike up the spur ~1/4 mile to reach Naches Wagon
Trail crossing. Turn right on trail to reach Government Meadows on
foot in a little over a mile.

Kelly Butte: From SR 410, drive 8 miles to FSR 7030 (signed). Turn
left on FSR 7030, crossing the county line and river in 0.3 miles. At
11.9 miles from 410, reach T-intersection at the saddle. Turn left,
staying on FSR 7030. In 0.5 miles, continue straight, not turning
right and uphill. In 0.7 miles (13.1 miles from 410), turn right to
continue on FSR 7030 (should have a sign). The entry road to Kelly
Butte is on the left, 14.4 miles from 410 (or 2.5 miles from
T-intersection). Drive or walk the narrow rough 0.6 mile entry road
to reach the base of Kelly Butte. The hike to the lookout is a little
over a mile in length, beginning steep, then levelling off.

Windy Gap: From SR 410, drive 8 miles to FSR 7030 (signed). Turn left
on FSR 7030, crossing the county line and river in 0.3 miles. At 11.9
miles from 410, reach T-intersection at the saddle. Turn right.
Continue about 4 miles, taking the largest option whenever a fork
appears. There is no obvious stopping point, just several nice
overlooks about 4 miles from the T-intersection worth setting up a
chair, enjoying the view and waiting for raptors to soar past.