Hi Tweeters,?
I led a fun field trip meandering around Mt. Fremont lookout and First Burroughs today - great scenery, a nice variety of wildflowers, a good workout with adventurous participants, a nice group of Mountain Goats, and not many, but a few birds. ?Highlights:
- a Baird's Sandpiper juvenile flying over and landing along the edge of Frozen Lake (making lugging the scope well worth it to see this rare but regular high-elevation fall migrant (fall only?)) and at least 60-80+ Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (all seen were juveniles) near the Mt. Fremont lookout.
- raptors included a Prairie Falcon, a Kestrel, and a Sharp-shinned Hawk
- warblers included groups of Yellow-rumps, and 2 Townsend's and 1 Orange-crowned in 1 flock
- good looks at birds included Clark's Nutcracker, nesting Mountain Bluebirds at the parking lot, and American Pipits
- a weird sighting was 2 young Brown-headed Cowbirds, what the heck were they doing at 6500 feet?
- it doesn't really count as a highlight since it was only heard only once by me, but just back down the trail from the Mt. Fremont lookout I heard a White-tailed Ptarmigan clucking, which I had no luck locating. ?Probably you would have a better chance here if you came here earlier in the morning on a weekday.

Good birding,
Evan Houston?
Seattle, WA