On August 24, I picked my son and daughter-in-law up at Portland Airport
for a trip down the Columbia River and north through Eastern Washington
to Cle Elem/Roslyn and, then, back to Seattle, Yelm and Cinebar for a
week that included a drive through nearby Mt Rainier from Ohanaceposh to
Longmire. The sun was shining most of the day during those two weeks so
we were able to spend many hours watching the birds in-between visiting
friends and relatives, picking quarts of huckleberries and blackberries,
and sampling some of the area's excellent cuisine. (smile)

My daughter-in-law, Michelle Matson, is a veteran birder, who sees and
hears birds when no one else does, identifys them easily, and can tell
you many interesting facts about each one. So, spending time with her
is always an amazing birding experience for me, and this trip was no
exception. Notable highlights of the trip included:

--at a rest stop (mile 161) in the Gorge on the 24th, we were able to
observe a Ring Billed Gull up-close for an extended period of time. He
was enjoying the food scraps on the grass and driveway with no regard
for traffic or and very little for people (of which actually, there were
few). This bird was a first timer for me, so that made it even more fun.

--on Whitman College campus in Walla Walla on the 25th, my alumni son
took us to Ankeny Field where he had played rugby and regaled us with
highlights of his games while we watched at least two dozen Cedar
Waxwings enjoying themselves in sycamore trees along the edge of the
field. Because the foliage was thin, we were able to see their behavior
clearly even without binoculars (altho we did use our binoculars to get
some up close views).

--on the drive across the plains to Cle Elem/Roslyn, we saw a constant
parade of raptors--in-flight, posing on the fence posts, and one or two
diving for prey (apparently). None of them were first timers for me,
but it was the first time I had been able to observe them so closely and
in action.

--on September 1st, we had a picnic lunch at Ohanaceposh campground near
the river there and were surprised that neither birds nor chipmunks
joined us for scraps. Later when we stopped at Reflection Lake to snack
on Sun Chips and Peanuts, we had lots of company. Particularly exciting
for me were the dozen Grey's Jays--both because it was a new bird for
my Washington list and because they were so friendly, standing on any
part of our bodies necessary to steal peanuts from our hands and our
cups! Some of the Jays were juveniles that Michelle thought were
molting into their adult plumage.

Darlene
Cinebar