Tweets,

Saturday was a great day to be outside. Sharon Cormier-Aagard and I
spent the morning hiking the trails at the west end of Rattlesnake
Ridge, accessed from Snoqualmie Point. Birds were very active, lots of
singing, and many provided good looks. *Black-throated Greys* were among
the more numerous warblers; others included *Yellow*, *Townsend's*,
*Orange-crowned* and many, many *Wilson's*. *Warbling Vireos* were in
evidence from the parking lot to the ridge line, but the most abundant
bird of the day was *Black-headed Grosbeak*. Many *Western Tanagers*,
plus fly-overs of *Red Crossbill* and several groups of *Evening
Grosbeak*. We startled a *Barred Owl* out of the brush at the start of
the hike; it then posed nonchalantly not 5 feet off the trail as we
walked under its perch. After hearing a *Sooty Grouse* (3rd year running
in same location), we finally spotted it about 40 feet up in a Doug Fir
in the middle of the clear-cut.

Now the rain is back; was Saturday our summer!?
Scott Ramos
Seattle