The family went camping in the southeast corner of Mount Rainier Park, at
Ohanapecosh campground, and while our campsite was lovely, the birding was
not spectacular. Sure, there were tree swallows darting around, adorable
little downy woodpeckers, the occasional flash of color as a western tanager
ambled through - but what I really WANTED to see was a Townsend's Solitaire.
I know - common as dirt, EVERYONE'S seen them - but not me. Never.



And I didn't, the whole camping trip, until the day of departure dawned, and
I was stricken with an attack of gout, of all things. VERY painful, so my
job was to stand at the car and load things in as people brought them to me.
"Could this day suck any harder?", I thought to myself, and, fuming, I
watched a robin-sized bird land on a branch about fifteen feet away.



"Hey - HEY! That's a Townsend's Solitaire!" I hollered. My son said, "Oh,
those? I've been seeing them around the campsite for days now."



So anyway, that's my current nemesis bird, sighted. Not sure what the next
one will be - that bird everyone's seen, but I haven't, you know? Goshawk,
maybe.



Cheers,



Josh Hayes, josh dot hayes at q dot com