Amazing sight. Wow, those birds were flying fast! Sighting occurred at c.
6PM near crest of pass (6400'), closely overhead, the highlight of a great
birding day in a variety of alpine and subalpine zones. Started the day at
camp (c. 5500') on the High Pass High Route, then hiked down the Napeequa
River to Little Giant trail, then over the pass to camp in a basin c.
5800'. We saw several White-Throated Swifts in the Napeequah valley
earlier that day and had several Golden Eagle sightings near High Pass the
previous day and watched a Golden Eagle soaring two days earlier from the
Massie Lake High Route. Numerous other IDs on the trip, a 4-day route that
included the Massie Lake High Route and the High Pass High Route, including
the highest Norther Harrier (male) sighting I've ever seen in WA (c.
7,000', near Liberty Cap); mixed warbler flocks (Nashville, Orange-Crowned,
Yellow-Rumped), flock of Mountain Bluebirds, Townsend's Solitaire, Dusky
Grouse, Western Tanager, all near camp in basin E of Little Giant Pass; and
the usual E-of-crest alpine and sub-alpine species (e.g., American Pipit,
Horned Lark, Gray-Crowned Rosy-Finch, White-Tailed Ptarmigan,
Roughed-Winged Swallow, Anna's Hummingbird, Willow Flycatcher, Western
Wood-Pewee, Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Wilson's Warbler,
Townsend's Warbler, Pygmy Nuthatch, Red Crossbill, Pine Siskin, Clark's
Nutcracker, Fox Sparrow and more).

Steve Loitz
steveloitz at gmail.com
Seattle, WA
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