Wasco County

river smallHere are a few more images from my trip to central Oregon. The main purpose of the trip was to get the dogs away from the fireworks in Portland, but I always enjoy a trip to the dry side of the Cascades. It was indeed dry, and very hot. Bodhi cooled off a little in the Deschutes River.

tv flockI found a small flock of Turkey Vultures roosting along the river one morning.

tv left smallEven in the early morning the sun was pretty intense.
tv insta

spotted sandpiperThis young Spotted Sandpiper was perched on a rock in the river.

mule deerThe Mule Deer were usually found along the river, which provided the only green vegetation in the area.

fence instaSince birding was pretty slow, I spent a lot of time with Western Fence Lizards. This individual was basking on a big piece of obsidian. Since it was so hot, these lizards usually basked in the shade except during the early morning.

fence lizard smallThis individual was hanging out under the deck where we were staying. I had to use a flash in this dark environment. I normally don’t like the results of flash photography, but the flash really brought out the pattern on this lizard.

fence instaan adorable little dragon

Happy Summer

Scout Camp Loop Trail

canyonThe Scout Camp Loop Trail is a lovely 2.2 mile hike northwest of Terrebonne. It is not particularly birdy. I logged 11 species on my trip, and the top eBird list for this site is only 17. (eBird calls this site Scott Camp Loop Trail, a typo that I hope will be corrected soon.) Despite the low diversity, it was well worth it to spend a few hours along this stretch of the Deschutes River.

The first .4 mile is through some juniper/sage steppe, which actually held the greatest bird diversity of the hike. The trail then descends into the canyon.

rock wrenThis Rock Wren was singing up a storm, but insisted on doing so from a high backlit perch.

bl starWith the recent high temperatures and lack of rain, most of the vegetation on the slopes was dried to a crisp. But the Blazing Stars were in full bloom, in defiance of the harsh conditions.

riparianDown at the river’s edge was a lush ribbon of greenery.

mule deerSeveral Mule Deer were taking advantage of the lush growth.

chat smallAside from the Violet-green Swallows flying over the water, the most common bird along the river was Yellow-breasted Chat. There were at least six individuals working the riparian corridor.

two-tailed swallowtailI don’t study butterflies much, but this Two-tailed Swallowtail was a new one for me.

common side-blotched lizard pairWhenever I visit eastern Oregon I am especially on the lookout for herps. This pair of Common Side-blotched Lizards was the only herp sighting of this hike, but the species was new to me.

side-blotched 1Here is the female, whose colors are more muted.

side-blotched 3The male was really colorful, with blue spots on the back and orange underneath.

side-blotched portraitAnother look at the male. The two didn’t seem to mind my presence. I think they were more interested in each other.

Happy Summer

Smith Rock State Park

I hadn’t been to the dry side of Oregon for far too long, so I took a trip to Smith Rock State Park. The avian stars of this site are the White-throated Swifts that nest here. They did not disappoint, but those little winged rockets are far too fast for my photographic abilities.

Unlike the swifts, the abundant Violet-green Swallows will occasionally pose for a photo.

There was apparently a good crop of Black-billed Magpies this year, so lots of youngsters were hopping around near the parking lot.

Direct sunlight and iridescence make for a lovely flash of color on these black birds.

Desert Cottontail. Note all the ticks on the edge of his ear.

itchy rabbit

I hiked over the rock formation on the aptly named Misery Ridge Trail, then back along the Crooked River. Rock Wrens were plentiful, but whenever I try to photograph that species I end up with crystal clear images of rocks with blurry birds on them.

Mule Deer were common in the grassy areas along the river.

The river held lots of Mallards, like the family pictured here, and Canada Geese.

Looking up at the cliff face from the river

Say’s Phoebe, looking regal

The same Say’s Phoebe, about to hork up something

By noon, the park was getting pretty crowded and the heat was intense so I headed for home. Birding was quite good despite the heat and the lateness of the season. I think a trip here in early June would be even more productive.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Part 2, Mammals

tundra 2A morning at Rocky Mountain National Park produced more mammals than birds, an unusual occurance in most areas. Despite the low numbers of birds, you always have to appreciate the charismatic megafauna.

single mule deerBehind this bush is a really large Mule Deer.

double mule deerHe was soon joined by a friend.

marmot 1Yellow-bellied Marmots have appeared on this blog before, and surely will again. In deference to those who are not as enamored with marmots as I am, I will limit this post to three photos.
marmot trio 2This marmot snuggle party was inspired by a Coyote that had just run through the area.
marmot 4You may ask, what could possibly be cuter than a baby Yellow-bellied Marmot? The answer. . .

pika 1a baby Pika! Who needs Brown-capped Rosy Finches when you have these little fluffballs scampering across the tundra?

pika 3more Pika adorableness

Mammals seen but not photographed that morning included Coyote, Rocky Mountain Elk, Bighorn Sheep, Snowshoe Hare, and an unidentified chipmunk. It was Mammalpalooza.

Where the Deer and the Antelope (and the Birders) Play

Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge includes about a quarter million acres in Lake County, OR. It is not close to anything, but is definitely worth the trip. The weather here in early June tends to be cool and breezy, and my recent visit was true to form.

In the morning, I parked at the campground and walked up toward the top of the large fault block that is Hart Mountain. It was a four-hour round trip through low sage steppe with aspen groves along the creeks. The riparian areas held MacGillivray’s and Yellow Warblers, Dusky Flycatchers, Bullock’s Orioles, and lots of Robins. In the more open habitats, the most common birds were Brewer’s and Vesper Sparrows, Rock Wrens, and Horned Larks.

These two Mule Deer kept a close eye on me as a walked up the jeep trail.

Pronghorns are the main reason this refuge came into being. Not actually antelope, Pronghorns are the fastest land animals in North America, having evolved alongside the now-extinct American Cheetah. Most of the Pronghorns I saw that day were rather skittish, keeping a good distance from me.

This individual was apparently not too concerned. On my way up the mountain, he lay fairly close to the road and watched me go by.

Near the top of the ridge is this large cairn, which stands almost eight feet tall. I’m not sure why some people are compelled to stack things. Monty Python addressed  this issue with their Royal Society for Putting Things On Top of Other Things.

Exposure to cold and wind limits plant growth near the top of Hart Mountain, but many of the rocks host colorful lichens.

On my way back down the mountain, I again passed the unconcerned Pronghorn.
Despite the cold, he has already started to shed his winter coat. If you look closely, you can see just a bit of a yellow tag in his left ear. This identifies this animal as part of a study tracking Pronghorn migration between Hart Mountain and Sheldon NWR in Nevada.

Farther south on the refuge lies a little patch of Ponderosa Pine forest known as Blue Sky. Since the habitat is so different from the surrounding sage steppe, it is worth exploring for different bird species, especially in migration. On this cold blustery day, I found Lazuli Bunting, Green-tailed Towhee, Warbling Vireo, and White-crowned Sparrows. The large trees are attractive to various owls, I am told.

Another Mule Deer

Brewer’s Sparrow. Like most small songbirds, they live their lives in defiance of auto-focus point-and-shoot cameras.

Mountain Chickadee, in slightly better focus.

 

Klamath Basin

Here are some photos from a recent trip to the Klamath Basin.


Eared Grebes are common  in the wetlands along State Line Road (Birding Oregon p. 116). The second bird from the left is still in basic plumage, while all the other birds seen that day had already molted into alternate plumage.


Shorebirds, such as this Semipalmated Plover, can be found on the mudflats along State Line Road.


This Pied-billed Grebe was nesting at Wood River Wetlands (Birding Oregon p.111).

The Klamath Basin is famous for its large wintering population of Bald Eagles, but a few pairs  stay to nest. This bird was found in Moore Park in Klamath Falls.


Moore Park is also home to Mule Deer. Note the fuzzy antlers starting to grow on the deer in the center of the photo.

Bear Valley

While not nearly as scenic as Logan Valley, Bear Valley (Birding Oregon p. 33), west of Seneca, has its share of birds. It is the only site where birders have reported Upland Sandpipers this spring. My recent attempt to find these birds was unsuccessful, but the pastures hosted plenty of Long-billed Curlews, Willets, Wilson’s Phalaropes, and more Wislon’s Snipes than I have ever heard in one place.


As you would expect in a county that has only one stoplight, car traffic is pretty light. Traffic is delayed occasionally by herds of cattle crossing the highway.


Western Meadowlark


Yellow-headed Blackbird, showing off for the ladies


Mule Deer, displaying the enormous ears that give the species its name.