Hello Tweets,
I've had some downtime between leaving my previous job and starting a new
position so I was able to take a couple overnight hikes to places with
interesting birds.
On Sunday I climbed Three Fingers with my father and slept in the fire
lookout that sits on top of the southern peak. This proved to be a popular
plan and we shared the lookout with 6 other folks who had the same idea.
For those not familiar with Three Fingers, its the large more rugged
looking mountain if you're in Everett looking west. The views from the top
in clear weather are tremendous. I could see all five Washington volcanoes
(although picking out St. Helens required binoculars) as well as downtown
Seattle, Everett, and the San Juan Islands. Unfortunately this formerly
difficult hike has been made even more difficult due to a washed out road
that may never be fixed. You now have to hike or bike 8 miles just to reach
the trailhead. The trail itself is another 7.5 miles, so you're looking at
over 30 miles round trip. In addition to some good birds we also saw at
least 9 Mountain Goats and 4 Black Bears.
Notable birds from Three Fingers:
Gray-Crowned Rosy Finch - At least 48 in three separate flocks on the
ascent. A flock of 40+ flew past the lookout at dusk (headed to communal
roost?), which I'm choosing to treat as possibly some of the same birds I'd
seen earlier.
Horned Lark - Hanging around the lookout. I likely heard a few more on the
decent, but never got a visual.
Red-breasted Nuthatch - Notable only for being heard at the lookout,
roughly a mile away from the nearest tree and several miles from any trees
of notable size.
White-tailed Ptarmigan - None seen, but several feathers found.
On Wednesday and Thursday I hiked up to the base of Glacier Peak, using the
N. Fork Sauk trail to access the PCT. Once I hit the PCT (about 9 miles in)
I headed north over Red Pass and then cut east through Glacier Peak Meadows
up to the basin formerly occupied by the rapidly retreating White Chuck
Glacier where I camped for the night. I'd done a very similar itinerary
almost exactly to the day a year ago that was a bit of a disappointment
bird wise. I was eager to get up there again with a little more experience
to hopefully find some better birds. Beyond the birds the scenery in this
area is ridiculously beautiful and its a shame that its so difficult to
access.
Notable birds from Glacier Peak:
Mountain Chickadee - Two birds together about halfway up the hill to the
PCT.
Clark's Nutcracker - One flycatching just below the junction of the N. Sauk
trail and the PCT. Only my second ever sighting in the county!
Lewis's Woodpecker - One flycatching just north of Red Pass. Interesting to
have both of this Lewis and Clark namesakes in the span of about 90
minutes. Not something that happens all that often west of the cascade
crest.
White-Tailed Ptarmigan - 5 birds within earshot of my campsite on Wednesday
as dusk. I tried to relocate them on Thursday and found several groups
totaling 10 individuals.
Horned Lark - Several groups, at least 9 birds total but likely more, on
the hillsides around the basin.
Gray-Crowned Rosy-Finch - A single bird on the hillside of the basin.
Wilson's Snipe - At the lake created by melting glacier water. Notable only
because I don't see any eBird records of this species near this elevation
of 6500'.
American Three-Toed Woodpecker - One heard only bird near the PCT at
Glacier Peak Meadows.
Golden Eagle - One adult and one juvenile along the PCT between Red Pass
and White Pass.
Pine Grosbeak - At least one calling near the junction of the PCT and N.
Sauk trail.
All in all a very successful few days and lots of great memories.
Josh Adams
Cathcart, WA
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