[Tweeters] Naches Pass sunday [King Co]

[mattxyz at earthlink.net]

Hi Tweeters -
Having successfully resisted the urge to drive to Windust, I headed 
instead to Naches Pass today for another episode of King County 
birding. Unlike many of my visits this year, the weather cooperated 
and the birds were active!

First up, I stopped at Government Meadows -- walking only in as far 
as the cabin and back out.  Birds:

AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER - 1 along the path, just about where 
the foot path and the jeep track join. We've seen 3-toed before up at 
Naches, but I believe they have been absent from this year's reports.

also present further down by the lower meadow:

MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE - a flock/family of 5-6

RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS - several, presumably migrating through

Also around were many Yellow-rumped Warblers, Townsend's Warblers, 
Pine Siskins & Evening Grosbeaks -- this year all of these have been 
pretty thin up at Naches, so it was enjoyable to see more normal 
numbers once again.

Next, I went up to Windy Gap for the bulk of the day -- my hope was 
to see some migrating raptors from the exposed ridge there.
En route, I came across the first of many flocks of AMERICAN PIPITS. 
Having seen none up there all year, it was quite a change to have 
them all over the place [100+ total, easily] this week.

In the first flock of pipits, I also had 5-6 HORNED LARKS - a 
relatively tough King Co bird to find each year.

At Windy Gap, over the course of 5 hours, I also saw:

MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD - 1 a migrant or one from the breeding families up there?

CASSIN'S FINCH - a couple flocks came and went early.

RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER - 1 popped up for a bit on a tree before moving 
on - very late, I'd think.

LAPLAND LONGSPUR - 2+ LALOs joined a flock of pipits and stuck around 
for quite a while, giving great looks.

CLARK'S NUTCRACKER - 3 came through briefly - again, a bird we had 
regularly last year but hadn't yet seen up at Naches this year.

TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE - 1 stayed close by all day

MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE - 1 more here

Also had many American Robins & Varied Thrush passing by, as well as 
a few Savannah Sparrows. Vaux's Swifts, numerous on most visits up 
until now, were almost all gone -- I only saw 2-3 all day.

in the air moving through, not too many raptors, but a few:

OSPREY - way out of place up in the hills

NORTHERN GOSHAWK - 2 sightings, probably of the same bird. 
Unfortunately, it never accepted my invitation to come over from the 
Kittitas side of the ridge into King Co. The 2nd time I watched it, 
it was being harrassed for a long while by 2 tiny-by-comparison 
SHARP-SHINNED HAWKs.

Probably 4 Sharpies total for the day

TURKEY VULTURES - 2-3

RED-TAILED HAWK - maybe 4 or so

Down at the small pond below Windy Gap [our 'Mountain Tairn'], a 
Warbling Vireo, MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER, TOWNSENDS WARBLER, & 5 
GREEN-WINGED TEAL rounded out the trip.

On the way home, I stopped by theToysmith ponds in Kent and saw the 
BAIRD'S SANDPIPER & SEMIPALMATED PLOVER earlier reported by Kathy A. 
In addition, there was a 2nd Semipalm Plover, & a PECTORAL.

Not quite as exciting as a Variegated Flycatcher, but a great day 
none the less -


Matt Bartels
Seattle, WA