THIS FIELD TRIP HAS BEEN CANCELLED AND WILL NOT BE RESCHEDULED
Kittitas County offers some spectacular summer birding where the Ponderosa Pine forest meets the Subalpine Fir zone on the drier eastern slope of the Cascade Range, creating a habitat for birds not seen west of the mountains. As we move east the terrain changes again to semi-desert shrub-steppe habitat dominated by sagebrush and grasslands. We’ll stop at the Snoqualmie summit, Bullfrog Pond, the Swauk Prairie and Teanaway area, and drive into Ellensburg and then east to Kittitas and continue on Old Vantage Road looking for sage birds. We’ll bird the overlook at Vantage and see if we have time for a few more locations near there, and possibly include lower Robinson Canyon or Umptanum Road near Ellensburg, and the Railroad Ponds in Cle Elum on the return trip home.
We hope to find Pygmy Nuthatch, Mountain Chickadee, Vesper Sparrow, Mountain and Western Bluebirds, American Kestrel, Swainson’s Hawk and other raptors, Bullock’s Oriole, Lazuli Bunting, various woodpeckers, Western Kingbird, Yellow-breasted Chat, and some warblers. We will leave from the open parking lot of the Tibbetts Valley Skate Park, 1600 Newport Way NW, Issaquah 6:00 a.m. and return by evening. Drivers will need to have a Discover Pass. Bring food, snacks, and liquids, sunscreen and insect repellant. Binoculars are essential, scopes are optional.
Carpool cost per passenger is $15.00. Trip Leader: Andy McCormick, 425-518-0892. Registration not required.
Flexibility is required as the exact route is subject to change due to bird reports and return time is not exact. This trip requires significant driving time and stamina for a long day and possible hot weather. The walking surfaces vary from paved areas to undeveloped dirt paths. However, there is limited walking involved as most stops will be brief.
Your safety is of paramount importance to Eastside Audubon. The following COVID-19 safety protocols apply for this bird walk:
This trip is open to fully vaccinated persons only.
Outdoors, mask wearing is optional but welcome.
Masks must be worn while in the automobile if persons residing outside of a single household are included in the carpool.
Participants are required to self-assess prior to the walk and must not attend if they have any COVID related symptoms (e.g. elevated temperature) or have been in contact with anyone diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past two weeks.
The trip leader is fully vaccinated.
Conditions such as weather, road or park closures can potentially impact this event. This is especially true during Winter months. Eastside Audubon will do our best to update this web page if any cancellation or rescheduling is required. So be sure to check this web page prior to heading out for this event.