Today I hiked above Paradise Mt. Rainier in hopes of finding Ptarmigan. I started out behind the lodge where there were lots of DARK-EYED JUNCOS. I came around the corner heading towards Myrtle Falls and had a Black Bear feeding next to the trail. We exchanged glances, he ate, I took pictures. Along this section towards Myrtle Falls there were lots of GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS. I branched off towards Golden Gate. I had an AMERICAN PIPIT walk along the trail with me for a bit until it flew. Lots of SAVANNAH SPARROWS flitted around along the trail. Above the last switch back on the Golden Gate trail, there were 6 SOOTY GROUSE, a hen with five almost fully grown young. I finally hit the Skyline trail and continued up. I made a check along the Lower Skyline trail but no Ptarmigan were seen, only AMERICAN PIPITS. So back to the grind up. I ran into a FOX SPARROW, a WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, and then a VARIED THRUSH, but still no Ptarmigan. At the junction, I dropped down to Panorama Point, came around the west side, where there were 2 male SOOTY GROUSE feeding, and then came back up at the Pebble Creek junction. Still no Ptarmigan. I walked up the Pebble Creek trail and had lunch with the mountain. During my break, I had 5 GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCHES fly over and still no Ptarmigan. So, back to the Skyline trail and headed back east to where I came from earlier. Another quick check along the Lower Skyline trail, and still no Ptarmigan. I continued down the trail and flushed 11 HORNED LARKS, and in the sky was a soaring RED-TAILED HAWK. Still further down the trail, I spotted a bird on a rock pile. It?s a grouse like bird, could it finally be. A closer look revealed missing feathered slippers. It was the SOOTY GROUSE hen with 2 young feeding near by, the same ones from earlier in the day. So back down Golden Gate to Paradise. I picked up a TOWNSEND?S WARBLER and RAVEN to end the day. In addition, I had 11 Hoary Marmots, several Yellow-pine Chipmunks, and several Cascades Golden-mantled Squirrels.

Dave Hayden
Centralia, WA
dtvhm AT nwrain.com