Subject: [Tweeters] Sunrise Rainier report
Date: Aug 7 23:00:25 2010
From: Michael Willison - sendtomichael at hotmail.com



Tweeters,

Camped at White River campground the last couple nights and spent time watching the sunrise at Sunrise as well as hiking and birding. Despite the poor weather in W. WA, the Sunrise area had spledid weather, although clouding some mid day today. The most interesting bird, according to the NP bird list, was a Brown-headed Cowbird just uphill from the plumbed restrooms in the parking lot. This species is listed as rare or accidental in the park. A Black Bear was seen foraging mid-morning East and under Dege Peak (seen from the last hairpin pullout prior to arriving at visitor center) I found 32 species of birds over the couple days, all seen either at the campground below Sunrise or the Sunrise area itself. I was unable to find either Ptarmigan or Rosy Finches and spent time looking around both the Burroughs. The trail to the 1st Burroughs still has a snow field of maybe 1/3 mile to cross just before reaching the plateau where you are arriving to 1st Burrough. Below is a list of all species found:

BIRDS:
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Am. Kestrel
Sooty Grouse
Vaux Swift
Rufous Hummingbird
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Horned Lark
Tree Swallow
Gray Jay
Stellar's Jay
Clark's Nutcracker
Common Raven
Mountain Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Mountain Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
Am. Robin
Am. Pipit
OC Warbler
YR Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
W. Tanager
Chipping Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
DE Junco
Brown-headed Cowbird
Cassin's Finch
Red Crossbill
Pine Sisken
Evening Grosbeak

Michael Willison
Stanwood
sendtomichael at hotmail.com