Subject: [Tweeters] Capitol Forest Warblers
Date: May 21 11:25:01 2009
From: JEFFREY COHEN - kokobean2 at hotmail.com





Hello Tweeterites,

After doing the walk at Nisqually NWR yesterday (see Phil Kelly's email), I decided to head to Olympia. I had wanted to get a map of Capitol State Forest which they sell for $3 at US Forest Service HQ on Black Lake Boulevard just south of hwy 101. I figured I was halfway there anyway. They are only open during the week, and most people seem go to the forest on weekends because of the (lack of) logging trucks. After purchasing the map, I asked the person at the desk if they knew if it was safe to drive up in the forest. While the roads are in good shape (4WD and high clearance vehicles are not needed), I have been told that if you run into a logging truck coming the other way, YOU are the one who will have to back up until you can pull off the road. They didn't know, being federal, but put me on the phone with the state. The answer I got was, that there could be logging trucks in the area but they weren't sure. I decided to try the lower levels where the roads are wider, and see how it went. I repeated a trip I took 2 years ago where I went to Mclaren campground, and then took the C-line to the top, then taking a right (north) on C-4000 to the base of the gated road that leads to Capitol Peak, a distance of 9.0 miles.

I went to McLaren because 2 years ago I had heard (but not seen) Hermit Warblers, despite the low elevation. I did not find them this time, but did get some good looks at a couple of Black-throated Gray Warblers. I then went up Sherman Valley Rd. until it became C-line/turned to dirt. I had my first Hermit Warbler on 0.4 mile from this point. I don't know the elevation at this point, but it is still pretty low. Encouraged by other non-logging traffic, I continued to the top, and then back down. In fact, the whole time I was there (1 pm to 5 pm) I never saw a logging truck. I only stopped at places that had pullouts. All told I had 7 Hermit Warblers, and my sense was that I could have found more if I were to stop every quarter of a mile or so. There were plenty of Wilson's and Yellow Warblers as well.

On the way down I stopped at several clearcut areas. Carol Schulz had told me on last saturday's Rainier Audubon trip, that MacGillivray Warblers like the margins of clearcut ares. the first couple ares had nothing but debris and no warblers, but when I checked a couple of clearcuts where bushes like salmonberry had established themselves, I was able to find a couple of MacGillivrays.

Jeff Cohen

Gig Harbor

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