Tweeters folks,

Back here in hot (93) Greenville,SC after a week in the cool Pacific NW.
My son Zeb and I took a two day trip Monday and Tuesday. Starting in
Seattle, we drove up I-5, over onto the North Cascades Highway (WA20),
spent the night in national forest above Twisp, and birded Cameron Lake
Road near Okanogan on Tuesday until rain became heavy at 10:45 AM. We
returned down 97 to I-90 through Snoqualmie Pass.

Birding highlights: a life Hammond's Flycatcher at the Skagit/Whatcom
ponds in the Cascades, life Western Bluebird, Brewer's Sparrow, and
Pigmy Nuthatch on Cameron lake Road. Dipped out on Black Swift and
White-headed Woodpecker, two big targets, but more incentive for the
next trip.

After several unsuccesful tries for Vaux's Swift in the summer around
Seattle, saw several in different spots last week: Seward Park in
Seattle, Winthrop in the Okanogan. Once again, you always seem to see a
sought-after bird more easily after the first time. Last June I finally
saw my first ones near Eumenclaw. Next summer visit I'm going to the
Monlake Fill in Seattle for Black Swift- several sightings there last
week and the week before. I tried for them at Franklin Falls near
Snoqualmie Pass but no luck. What an awesome place! Thanks to Larry
Schwitters for the tip on Black Swift nesting at the falls.

On the way back from the Okanogan I noticed two separate flocks of birds
clustered around puddles on I-90, high near the pass. At first I thought
them to be American Goldfinch, but a quick look at my Western Sibley
revealed that they were Evening Grosbeaks. They reminded me of
Swallowtail Butterflies fluttering around a puddle. There must have been
15-20 in each group. In each case they were in the parking lots of
businesses along the way. Were they drinking? Or gathering grit?

Hope to be back this winter for Bohemian Waxwing, Snow Bunting, and some
owls. Can Merideth Spencer please persuade another Hawk Owl to take up
residence in the Okanogan/Waterville Plateau area? I hear she has
influence in these matters.

Thanks to all the tweeters folks who helped me again this time.

Steve Compton
Greenville,SC in the beautiful Piedmont