October 13, 2007

Hi Khan,

I'm just going through all my accumulated Tweeters messages that I haven't checked for a while.

At the time, back in September 1988, I hadn't yet added a Blue Grouse to my Washington list, so I counted it as that, since Spruce Grouse weren't supposed to be around here. But I decided to stick my neck out afterall, and rightfully claim it as a Spruce (Franklin's) Grouse.

I climbed the old "Keep Cool Trail", that is now closed or no longer maintained. It ends up at Aster Butte, now served by a newer trail. It is very steep and I wouldn't have done it if I knew how hard it was going to be. There were signs at the parking area informinng that there was to be logging there shortly. The actual Wilderness boundary is part way up the slope. So my experience was more of a wilderness setting there than would probably be now, I suppose.

When I neared thhe upper limit of closed forest, there was a brook running along siide the trail, so I stopped to rest awhile. Suddenly a loud series of eagle-like calls issued forth from a nearby tree. It was intimidating. Although I never saw the bird making that noise in the stilll forest, I eventually called it a Northern Goshawk, after much researching of bird literature. A little further up, near the edge of the closed forest (Mountain Hemlock), I foraged the hucklebberries a bit, although I didn't really like the taste all that much. After another rest in the sub-alpine setting that opened up nearby, I continued toward the Asrer Butte area. I didn't see anything great after that, although I did not manage to ID everything (small birds) that crossed my path. There were a few hawks migrating past, but only as singles here and there. There were a few male campers up there thatt didn't act too friendly, so I kept going past Aster Butte, after another rest in the scre!
e zone
ponds.

The reason I went up there in the fiirst place is that I met a couple of birders (with a bird dog!) on an earlier occasion that said they encountered Ptarmigan on the slopes oof Mt.Tomyhoi. But I didn't quite make it that far. I scrambled up one last slope to a point overlooking Lake Tomyhoi, which was an extensive blueberry pattch. So I snackked on blueberries and took a nap in the heather. It was already getting late whhen I starrted back, but it was a nice sunny day.

To make a long story short, when I got bback to where I earlier had scrounged for huckleberries (also blue), I hearrd a ruslling in the dry leavves and snapping of twigs. And lo and behold, ouut steppped that grouuse! I had the impression that it was letting me know that I was unwelcome in its huckkleberry patch. It walked ahead of me for a short ways along the trai, then stepped into a shallow indentation along the trail, then turned abruptly away and disappeared into the underbrush. That hucklberry patch was just insiide the upper limmit of closed forest, and the trees were not very ttall, compared with further down the trail. I already gave you my decriptiion off the tail and uppertail coverts. The rest was not very remarkable. The ttop of the headd was a warm brown color with broken narrow crossbaring. There was a narrow white line extendiing back behind the eye, and some more patterning in tthe throat area.

I hhad already packed my camera away for the steep descent which followed that encounter.

The year before, in August 1987, I went on a field trip to Manninng Provincial Park, where I saw a family off Spruce Gruse. They were much more extensively chestnut, but I didn't gett a good look at the mother hen, as she was already hidden by underbrush. I just saw the trailing youngsters, especially the last one.

Well, that's about all I remember off hand. Of course that doesn't compare with your conquests.

Cheers!

Phil Hotlen
Bellingham, WA
-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: khanh tran <khanhbatran at hotmail.com>
>
> Hi Phil,
>
> Where did you see the bird? I assume you saw a rufous morph hen or young bird.
> Some of the habitat looked ideal especially the road leading to Hannegan Pass..
>
> I am glad you enjoyed the article. It took some time to do my research and
> write it. But it was alot of fun.
>
> Khanh


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From: khanh tran <khanhbatran at hotmail.com>
Subject: Spruce grouse Mt. Baker
Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 18:06:51 +0000
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