Yo Tweets,

The weather was perfect for an early AM hike to Fremont Lookout via the Sunrise rim trail to the Emmons Glacier overlook, then the Wonderland trail up to Frozen Lake & Fremont LO, but the birds were scarce and the mosquitoes plentiful and persistent, even at the lookout. Had hoped to loaf and hawkwatch at the lookout, and let a ptarmigan walk by.....but the muzzies drove me off. The most unexpected bird was a Kingfisher at Shadow Lake (near the Sunrise walk-in campground). For the day:
Red-tailed Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Rufous Hummingbird
N. Flicker
Clark's Nutcracker
Steller's Jay
Gray Jay
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Dark-eyed Junco
Evening Grosbeak
I do this hike once or twice every year, but have missed Ptarmigan for about the last 20 years.....must have bad Ptarma-karma, since I regularly see others report it on tweeters. I'd recommend waiting two weeks for some cooler weather to knock down the bug population or dip yourself in deet.

Ed Deal
dealgen at aol.com