Visit to Mirror Lake for Three-toed Woodpecker

[gbarlow at aros dot net]

This morning Glen Warchol and I met early at the Shopko Parking Lot and went up
to Mirror Lake to try for the Three-toed Woodpecker previously reported.  It
was a great day for birding.  The weather was cool and comfortable.  But, the
birds were very quiet.  We expected large crowds in anticipation of the July
24th Weekend, but we did not see many people.  Although we saw a few birds
along the Mirror Lake Highway, most were seen along the Highline Trail.

We previously saw a small flock of Cassin's Finch along the Mirror Lake Highway.
 Then, during our leisurely walk along the trail we saw the following:

Dark-eyed Junco (several)
Gray Jay (several)
Pine Grosbeak (pair)
Clark's Nutcracker, and finally, west of the pond and up the hill,
Three-toed Woodpecker.

We got to the pond after walking along the trail aways. The pond is to the left
and above the trail.  Suddenly we heard the drumming of a woodpecker in the
distance, further up the hill.  Glen and I circled around the pond to the left
(south and west) and right, and Glen was able to locate a male excavating a
nest.

In the pond is a submerged fallen tree.  If you will sight along that fallen
tree in the water, and look up the hill past the pond, you will see some dead
trees.  The male was excavating a hole in the left (largest tree).  the cavity
is located on the left (south) side of the tree, perhaps 30-40 feet up.  The
hole is quite large, and part of it is broken away.

We were able to observe the male working on the cavity from the outside, then he
would enter the cavity and we could hear him chipping away at the inside.
Shortly thereafter his head would appear at the entrance and he would fling
material outside the cavity.  We watched for some time, then noticed
a movement in a neighboring close tree on the right.  (All trees were dead.)  It
was there that we suddenly saw the female, partially hidden by the trunk of the
tree.  We were able to observe her for a short time before she flew toward us,
then over our head.  Subsequently the male flew away.

As a culmination for this grand experience a Hermit Thrush flew by.

We then continued over the hill (west) to Mirror Lake and returned to the car
via the boardwalk and path, which was much easier than the walking the
undulating and rocky path of the trail.

Glenn (and Glen)

P.S.  We promised each other that if we got lost we would NOT hide from any men
on horseback, but would ask them for a ride.

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