Just returned from a three days of backpacking in Shenandoah National Park. My primary mission was to spend two nights out in the cold mountains testing my new gear. With the weather so nice I was able to spend much of my time birding instead of trying to keep warm. I started on Saturday morning at Thornton Gap and went to the north side of Pass Mountain for the first night. Sunday I hiked south along the Appalachian Trail ridge to Little Stony Man and then backtracked to Meadow Springs Trail and camped near the junction of Hazel Mountain Trail and White Rocks Trail. Monday I hiked along White Rocks Trail to Hazel River Trail and then out of the park to Route 231 and 211 in Sperryville, VA. Here’s what I found to get excited about: gosshawk - 1 adult, Pass Mountain yellow-bellied sapsucker - 1 Pass Mountain red-breasted nuthatch - 2 Pass Mountain screech owl - 1 Pass Mountain barred owl - 5 two heard calling to each other at each campsite and one seen at dusk near Runyon’s Run raven - 20+ a pair near Mary’s Rock passed a pine cone to each other in mid-air ruffed grouse - 13 every few miles I was startled by one red crossbill - 9 along White Rocks Trail pine siskin - 10+ White Rocks Trail pine warbler - 1 White Rocks Trail northern saw-whet owl - 1 heard at close range along White Rocks Trail winter wren - 1 Hazel River Trail white crowned sparrow - 4 Route 600 near junction with 608 tree sparrow - 2 Route 600 near junction with 608 Plenty of the regular juncos, chickadees, woodpeckers, cardinals, jays, goldfinches, robins, nuthaches, and wrens. Anyone interested in taking a similar trek should be sure to wear crampons and use poles. Most of the trails are iced over. There were a few day hikers along White Rocks Trail coming from the Route 600 entrance. Skyland Drive was closed. I'll try to get back there later in the winter and give another report. ___________ David Gersten gerstens@erols.com Herndon, VA