Hello All,
I spent a nice two days checking out some higher-elevation areas of Pierce County. There hasn't been much snow for weeks, making the roads unusually passable for December. That should change the next couple of days!

Yesterday I went part way up the Mowich Lake Road (Hwy 164). I spotted a Northern Pygmy-Owl on a roadside treetop. While I was watching it, a flock of mostly silent small finches flew over. The one bird that did call in that flock was a COMMON REDPOLL. Also large flocks of Pine Siskins and good numbers of Evening Grosbeaks around up there. Only two Red Crossbills were found, one type 3 and one type 4.

Today my dad and a friend and I went up FR 75 over Haller Pass (southwest of Greenwater). We made it up to nearly 5000' elevation, within a mile of Lonesome Lake, before the snow and ice in the road got too deep for the jeep we were in. We found PINE GROSBEAKS in 3 different locations (25 or so birds), 15 type 3 Red Crossbills, 1 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL, and 3 CASSIN'S FINCHES. We also heard a Barred Owl calling as it started to snow at sunset.

Cheers,
Charlie Wright
Bonney Lake, Washington