Subject: [Tweeters] Harts Pass
Date: Oct 10 21:39:34 2008
From: Louise Rutter - louise.rutter at eelpi.gotdns.org


A very brief report on today's birding as I am sleepy....



I had a female grouse fly across in front of the car about 5 miles beyond
Mazatma on the Lost River Road. I can safely say it wasn't a ruffed grouse,
as the whole bird was densely mottled and missing those bold flank stripes,
but I'm not well enough up on chickens to make the call between dusky and
spruce from that brief side view - a pity, as either would have been a lifer
for me!



The NORTHERN HAWK OWL remains in the burned area around the Meadows Creek
campground road. Two of us found it at around 8.15am for 5 minutes, then
four of us tracked it again briefly about an hour later. The bird tends to
sit at or near the top of burned snags.



We also had an adult GOLDEN EAGLE fly-by and a juvenile NORTHERN GOSHAWK
posed on a couple of occasions. Non-raptors included a couple of small (3-4
birds) PINE GROSBEAK flocks.



This morning at 8.15, the temperature up there was about 22 degrees, and by
11 the air temperature was still 25, though feeling much warmer in the sun.
There was basically no snow up to the Meadows Creek campground turn-off -
the Meadows Creek road itself had an inch or so, no more, and there were a
couple of inches up to Slate Peak. Stunning weather and beautiful views.



Louise Rutter

Kirkland