Today Alan and I headed for Mt. Rainier to hike the Skyline Trail out of Paradise while Kay and Jean stayed behind for some Mother – Daughter time. We got there about 8 AM and headed up the east side of the trail. It was remarkably alive with birds, with flocks of DEJU and sparrows. One early GCSP, lots of WCSP, a few SASP, at least one FOSP and many left unidentified as they flushed and flew to cover. A bit further up the trail we noted a mammal we could not identify, looked like large weasel (later ID from photos by ranger as Pine Martin) as well as hearing one, then seeing another Sooty Grouse. The first one seen was found by Alan well hidden in the brush just off the trail.
As we came into the open meadows we saw my FOY Pierce Prairie Falcon, first perched at a distance, then flying, soaring, and one time zipping by close in doing its stealth attack ground-hugging fast flight. The hike up was great, few hikers, lots of birds, and cool dry air. After crossing on the high Skyline trail we had lunch at the highest point, and laughed as a man dressed in a head-to-toe Sasquatch outfit posed for photos with hikers. Big flocks of AMPI were everywhere in the meadows at high elevation. Just after leaving Panorama Point a family group of 7 SOGR idled across the trail as hikers marveled at the “little turkeys” and one hung out to give us a great show of a dust bath just beside the trail.
Overall a nice hike, two Pierce County FOY species, Sooty Grouse and Prairie Falcon.