Sherry and I went up to Mt. Rainier today, and hiked from Reflection Lake (Lewis Co.) up to the end of the Paradise Glacier trail (Pierce Co.) The birding was pretty good with a couple of highlights, and the fall colors made this hike spectacular. On the Lakes Trail we had MOUNTAIN CHICKADEES, RED CROSSBILLS, EVENING GROSBEAKS, SOOTY GROUSE, TOWNSEND?S SOLITAIRES, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS, 1 RED-TAILED HAWK, 1 SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, and other common woodland species. We stopped for lunch at the Lakes Trail and Skyline Trail junction. Here we had an adult GOLDEN EAGLE swoop in, drop its talons, and almost snagged a SOOTY GROUSE. On the Paradise Glacier trail we had lots of AMERICAN PIPITS, 1 HORNED LARK, 2 NORTHERN HARRIERS, 1 AMERICAN KESTREL, and 1 BROAD-WINGED HAWK (bad photos obtained)

Dave Hayden
dtvhm AT nwrain.com
Centralia, WA