Hi all -
Nice morning spent up near White Pass in Lewis County? after the Peters Road Indigo Bunting popped up singing immediately on my arrival at 5:30, I moved uphill for another try at the Sand Hill trail off FR 1284, just west of White Pass.
As with my first trip a month ago, the burn area didn?t disappoint.
Highlights:
Williamson?s Sapsucker - one or two males drumming and calling
Am. Three-toed Woodpecker - 1 adult
Dusky Flycatchers - more than one singing away
Pine Grosbeak - 1 bright male came in close
Clark?s Nutcrackers heard many times and seen once
Gray Jays - a family down on FR 1284
Cassin?s Finch - many singing throughout the morning, none actually seen.
Mountain Bluebirds - several adults and young
Western Bluebirds a few adults, maybe young.

Looking forward to seeing what turns up next time!
[see below for directions from earlier message]

Matt Bartels
Seattle, WA


> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: Matt Bartels <mattxyz at earthlink.net>
> Subject: [Tweeters] Lewis Co birding near White Pass
> Date: June 6, 2016 at 5:14:10 AM PDT
> To: Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
>
> Hi Tweets -
> Yesterday [6/5/16] I tried to escape the heat [unsuccessfully] by heading uphill. I?d been wanting to follow up on Dave Hayden?s Lewis County guide to US 12 to try a hike he mentions [his guide is available at: http://wabirder.com/lewis.html <http://wabirder.com/lewis.html> for free download ].
>
> The Sand Hill trail starts on FR 1284, a road just west of White Pass in Lewis Co. Trailhead about 2.8 miles up FR 1284. As Dave described it, there is a burn a little under a mile up the trail - It is a relatively steep uphill mile, but doable w/ some huffing & puffing. And once there, it was a great new spot to learn about ? I mostly hung around not far into the burn, near a small pond covers the trail [probably meltwater that will soon be gone, but still feeling like the flattest spot at the top]. In three hours of birding , the following were around:
>
> Cassin?s Finch right away - several of them around
> Mountain & Western Bluebirds - many MOBL, several WEBL - seemed to have young already?
> Townsend?s Solitaire - pretty constantly tooting and/or singing [Hermit Thrush farther down the hill too]
> Calliope Hummingbird - one popped up early on
> Williamson?s Sapsucker - a pair working the area around a little pond that covers the trail where I mostly hung out.
> Swainson?s Hawk! - one cruised over, circling slowly overhead for great views.
> Prairie Falcon - one made a similar slow cruise-by
> Also heard Clark?s Nutcracker & Gray Jay, Northern Pygmy-Owl and maybe Pine Grosbeak
>
> Great place, and definitely worth return visits in the future ?
>
> Thanks Dave for putting the guide together - great to get into new corners of Lewis Co ?
>
> Matt Bartels
> Seattle, WA
>
>
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