Hi Tweeterland,

Yesterday Bob Stallcop, Knut Hansen and I made a trip to the Cle Elum area with the focus of checking on a Williamson's Sapsucker nest that I had visited exactly two weeks before. At that time, the nest hole contained a number of youngsters that never shut up unless they were being fed by either mom or pop. Yesterday, all was quiet as apparently the babies had fledged, and all parties dispersed, despite the presence of sapsucker wells near the nest tree. We decided to continue the remaining 9 miles to Tuquala Lake since none of us had been any farther north.

There was other nesting activity going on though. We checked out some high-pitched squawking that sounded a little like a Starling, only to find a young EVENING GROSBEAK scrambling over branches on the forest floor. Mom and pop were in nearby trees calling to it. A little further up the road (in front of the Montgomery house) we found a WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE on a nest with it's wings spread, apparently shading any youngsters from the noon sun. A little further up, just before crossing a bridge over a side creek, we found a pair of OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHERS, one sittting on a nest on a horizontal branch about 30 feet high. At the Fish Lake campground, we found a salt lick near the road that was being used by 30+ EVENING GROSBEAKS. Joining them were a female CASSIN'S FINCH and a PINE SISKIN.

Next stop was the Brick in Roslyn for a late lunch of tasty burgers. If you stop by, make sure and ask the bartender what the trough of running water under the bar patron's feet is for.

Last stop was railroad ponds in south Cle Elum. The gate to the hatchery was closed, so we just went to the end of Charter Road and back. On the way back we heard, and then saw two CATBIRDS. A little further down the road, another, possible third CATBIRD was seen. Other highlights of this area were; a female BARROW'S GOLDENEYE with four large youngsters, a juvie HOODED MERGANSER by itself, and a VEERY and a MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE.



Jeff Cohen

Gig Harbor, WA

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