Hello,

I'm looking forward to spending a few days in Washington at the beginning
of July. I've never been to the Pacific Northwest before, so the terrain
and some of the birds are unfamiliar to me. Mark Salvadalena at Seattle
Audubon said that people on this list might be helpful with planning my
itinerary for the best chances to see some "target" birds. If you have any
advice, I'd love to hear it.

The birds I'd most like to see (they would be "life birds") are:
- Sooty Grouse (will they still be displaying in early July?)
- Black Swift
- Williamson's Sapsucker
- Spotted, Northern Pygmy and Flammulated Owls (I know that owl locations
can be a sensitive subject)

Based on my research thus far, the outline of my plan is as follows: Spend
majority of time in East Cascades, focusing on Colockum Road and Naches
Peak Loop areas. I'd also like to see the Olympic Wilderness, with
Hurricane Ridge and Forks looking to be the best birding spots. Depending
on the circumstances, I may also check some of the parks around Lake
Sammamish for Black Swifts.

Are there any other places that I should check out? Any tips for these
locations? For example, Colockum Road is over 30 miles long, so what are
the most productive spots? Does Colockum (or any other location) require a
vehicle with high clearance, or will a regular (cheaper) rental car work?

For what its worth, I'll be arriving in Seattle very early on July 1st and
flying out very late on July 4th. Thank you for allowing me to join your
email list.

Best Regards,
Zack Weber
Cambridge, Massachusetts
birdingwithzackweber at gmail.com
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