Hey Tweets,

On Saturday of the WOS trip, I got up to Hurricane Ridge on a field trip led by Wilson Cady. We started at Heart o' the Hills Campground, with not a lot of activity, although we did get one each of Varied and Swainson's Thrush. Up at the Visitor's Center, we had American Pipits, Dark-eyed Juncos and a Sooty Grouse which stayed within 3-4 feet of a group member while we took pictures! (worth noting that other sightings during the weekend at the visitor center included Northern Goshawk, Golden Eagle and Gray Jay). On the road to Obstruction Point, we picked up a lot of passerines, including Red Crossbill, Evening Grosbeak, American Goldfinch, Townsend's Warbler, Olive-sided Flycatcher and a Mountain Chickadee. At Obstruction Point itself, a hike up the trail got me a life bird - a Golden Eagle flying between ridges. We also had a pair of Horned Larks on this part of the hike, and other group members viewed a Sooty Grouse hen with three chicks, and a flock of Gray-crowned Rosy Finches.

The flowers at the top were beautiful as well. I haven't been up during a bloom like this before, and some people were speculating that the bloom times may have been compressed by the late spring we had.

Down at Ediz Hook, we had good luck with Alcids, finding Common Murre, Marbled Murrellet and Rhinoceros Auklet. Although other birders had found Ruddy Turnstones and Surfbirds at the end of the hook the previous day, we only found Black Turnstones that afternoon.

Happy birding!

-Tim Brennan
Renton
www.39counties.blogspot.com