Tweeters:


15 AM. PIPITS, 9 HORNED LARKS and a GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCH were seen and heard on a
hike up Hurricane Hill yesterday. This short hike starts from the end of the main paved road,
which ends about 1/2 mile from the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center. The birds were all associated
with a snow bank immediately south/below the hilltop overlook south. A family group of OLYMPIC
MARMOTS with dens right along the trail were also of note.

Other highlights: we had a calling female CASSIN'S FINCH from the trail that heads off in a s.w.
direction from the same road, the trailhead about midway between the Hurricane Hill trailhead and
the Visitor Center. Another notable rarity was a juv. N. GOSHAWK that cruised westward over a
spire visible from the Obstruction Pt Rd, about .75-1 mile from the Visitor Center. This road is
closed about 4 miles in, but there were plenty of birds along this stretch. Among others, we had
a SOOTY GROUSE hen with chick, the latter enjoying a dust bath right on the road. We had
another hen with chick earlier nearby, as well as an ad male.

At days end, looking out from Fort Warden State Park in Port Townsend, we spotted a flyby
CASSIN'S AUKLET among the Rhino hordes. The Port Townsend-to-Coupeville ferry run was
very good for alcids as usual, and a TUFTED PUFFIN just leaving the slip completed a 6-alcid
day at dusk.

Scott Atkinson
Lake Stevens
mail to: scottratkinson at hotmail.com