Yakkers and Tweeters,



This morning I escaped the heat and smoke in Yakima and headed west up to Chinook Pass on the Cascade crest, at the east entrance of Mt. Rainier National Park. I had three target birds: Black Swift, Pine Grosbeak, and White-winged Crossbill. In three hours of observation in the pass area, I dipped on all three of my targets. On my descent on SR-410, 2.5 miles east of the pass, I stopped at a pullout to scan the skies one more time. I caught sight of several Lewis's Woodpeckers above me on the ridge, which tops out at about 6,000 feet elevation. At first I thought they might be flycatching from the many dead whitebark pines on the steep slopes above, victims of White Pine Blister Rust. After a moment, it was apparent these woodpeckers were heading southwest overhead and there were at least seven birds, I lost sight of this loose group crossing over the beautiful glacier-carved valley of the Rainier Fork of the American River. I can't recall seeing Lewis's Woodpeckers migrating in the subalpine zone. Birds of Washington (Wahl et al.) states "timing of migration varies locally, but birds generally depart in August or early September."



Andy Stepniewski

Yakima WA

steppie at nwinfo.net


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