OREGON: the High Desert in Spring

April 21-29*, 2007
*to April 30 with optional 1-day extension to Mt. St. Helens

 

Saturday 4/21
Participants arriving in Portland met at the hotel for introductions, a brief evening discussion of the trip and plans for the morning.

Sunday 4/22
After viewing nutria and Ring-necked Duck swimming in the lake behind the hotel, our first stop was the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, a world-class garden and Portland birding hotspot. Crystal Spring’s garden was initiated in 1950 by the Portland Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society and now includes more than 2,500 rhododendrons, azaleas, and companion plants, including the spectacular native Camas Lily, (Camassia quamash): The Indian word quamash became anglicized to “camas,” the source of both generic and species name for this plant. Early explorers were amazed when they saw fields of camas in bloom. Meriwether Lewis in a description of this plant, wrote in June of 1806, that they stretched out like “lakes of fine clear water.” The members of the Lewis and Clark expedition gratefully ate camas roots in the camp of the native American Indians of the region.

The lake at Crystal Springs provided us with Wood Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, American Coot, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, American Widgeon, Double-crested Cormorant, and Gadwall, birds that even when present in abundance in New Jersey are often hard to examine closely. The presence of many Canada/Cackling Geese of all sizes helped us realize that field identification and separation of these two species, particularly in the west where so many subspecies are interspersed, can be very difficult. A Raccoon washing up in the lake and Fox Squirrels in the trees were the only mammals encountered at the garden.

On the way to the Portland Audubon Society (PAS), we paused briefly for an overview of the Oaks Bottom Wetlands, one of the finest urban wetland preserves in the country, and viewed two of its resident immature Bald Eagles, osprey on nest and many Great Blue Herons (the official bird of the City of Portland). While the feeders at the PAS were relatively slow, they still afforded good looks at Band-tailed Pigeon, Rufus Hummingbird, Chestnut-sided Chickadee and the Oregon (“Pink-sided”) Junco.

At Multnomah Falls, water cascades 620 feet over a vertical cliff composed of Columbia River Basalt. Tree casts at the base of some flows demonstrate that forests existed in this area when the flows occurred from about 16 to 9 million years ago. We watched a noisy Stellers Jay and the largest of the western chipmunks, the Townsend’s Chipmunk. We failed, however, to locate any American Dipper either in the stream below the falls or near Bonneville Dam.

On a short side loop over the Moser Overlook, we added Lewis’s Woodpecker, Scrub Jay, American Kestrel, Western Meadowlark and Western Bluebird to our trip list and enjoyed wildflowers, including Balsam Root and Lupine, in full bloom before continuing on to a nights rest in Bend.

Monday 4/23
At breakfast, Carol reported that an early migrant MacGillivray’s Warbler had been in the shrub outside her room (they were reported by others close-by the following day) but the bird could not be relocated. Walking off our breakfast along the Deschutes River at Sawyer Park produced abundant Pigmy Nuthatch and Yellow-rumped Warblers along with Downy Woodpecker, Hermit and Varied Thrush, American Robin, Red-Shafted Flicker, House Finch, Brown-headed Cowbird, Osprey, Canada Geese, and the resident (pinioned) Trumpeter Swan. Also we viewed at close range the Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel and the Yellow-Pine Chipmunk.

The feeder at the Forest Service office provided an opportunity for comparison of Black-capped and Mountain Chickadee, while a second feeder (residence of Jake Schas’ of the Central Oregon Bird Conservancy) yielded Evening Grosbeak (just for Georgia), White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows, and a large flock of Pine Siskins. Our next stop just outside the town of Sister was at Camp Polk Meadows, a property under active native plant restoration by the Deschutes Basin Land Conservancy. Here we watched more Evening Grosbeak and swallows and listened to the call of the Pacific Treefrog. Butterflies were also present including territorial Western Pine Elfin, abundant California Tortoiseshell.

After picking up our lunch in town, we ate at the Cold Springs Campground west of Sisters. Woodpeckers were our goal here and we were rewarded among the ponderosa pines with Downy Woodpecker, a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers excavating a nest cavity, Red-naped Sapsucker, Red-shafted Flicker, and finally the resident White-headed Woodpecker. We also observed Varied Thrush and all three nuthatches, (pygmy, red-breasted and white-breasted). Traveling higher in to the east slope of the cascades we visited the Black-crater Burn, a wildfire that scorched 9400 acre of Ponderosa forest in August of 2006. The crunching of the bark beetles from within the scorched trees made it the perfect woodpecker territory. Although we missed the Williamson Sapsucker, we did get a look at a Black-backed Woodpecker making it a 6 woodpecker day. Also observed was Mountain Bluebird nesting in one of the scorched pines. After adding a Clark’s Nutcracker and a Great–blue Heron at Cow Camp Meadows campground and viewing old growth Douglas firs and western skunk cabbage and common manzania along the trail, we returned to town for dinner.

After dinner, we headed up Pilot Butte, an extinct volcanic cinder cone in the middle of Bend, for a sunset look back at the Oregon Cascades (Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, Three-Fingered Jack, Mt. Washington, and the Three Sisters [Faith, Hope and Charity]) and ahead to the High Desert of Eastern Oregon.

Tuesday 4/24
On our way to Burns, we took an early morning detour to the Quail Run Golf Course near LaPine where Barn, Tree and Violet-green Swallows flew overhead. Just before entering the course we got a great road-side view of a perched Peregrine Falcon. The lake at the course yielded our first Cinnamon Teal of the trip as well as Ring-necked Duck. A Say’s Phoebe and a pair of Mountain Bluebirds were catching insects from the fence. Lincoln’s sparrow, Northern Harrier and more yellow-rumped warblers were noted in the scrub, along with numerous Belding’s Ground Squirrels. A Western Screech Owl was heard calling in the distance but the Great-gray Owl reported to have been nesting here last year failed to appear.

Our next stop at Fort Rock provided excitement immediately on arrival as a pair of Barn Owls, apparently flushed from a cliff-side nest by a group of young boys, briefly appeared before disappearing again into hiding places on the rock.  Violet-green Swallows and White-throated Swifts fed in the wind currents on the cliff while a Say’s Phoebe caught flies from a fence. While much of the group explored the geology and scenery of this unique volcanic tuff ring, (A tuff ring is a wide, low-rimmed, well-bedded accumulation of debris built around a volcanic vent located in a lake, coastal zone, marsh or an area of abundant groundwater. It is formed when magma interacts with water causing an explosive eruption. Tuff itself is an igneous rock formed by the airfall of volcanic ash or pumice), those left below listened to, and watched, singing Rock and Canyon Wrens as well as our first California Quail.

It was noted that the caves in the cliffs on Fort Rock and surrounding highlands were home to humans who lived on the shores of a huge Pleistocene lake covering the entire Christmas Valley over 9,000 years ago. On the way out of Fort Rock we encountered the first of many Ferruginous Hawks.

After lunch in the community of Christmas Valley, the restaurant grounds provided Ruddy Duck and the ever present Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) Warblers. The afternoon drive to Burns produced a splendid array of raptors including Kestrel, Bald and Golden Eagles, Swainson’s, Red-tailed, Ferruginous, and Rough-legged Hawks, Northern Harrier and, of course, an abundance of Turkey Vultures and Ravens. Over a steak dinner, Michael worried about road condition reports that would force a postponement of the early morning trip to the Sage Grouse lek.

Wednesday 4/25
The drive to the Malheur wildlife refuge began with bang. Before we were out of Burns, we had checked off 45 species including, the Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Long-billed Curlew, Willet, Yellow-Headed Blackbird, Greater White-Fronted Geese, a calling Greater Yellowlegs, a pair of resident Greater Sandhill Cranes, and a host of waterfowl. The first fields out of town yielded a flock of migrating Lesser Sandhill Cranes, a small flock of Ross’s Geese with at least two late migrating Snow Geese, a flock of White-faced Ibis, and a very cooperative Wilson’s Snipe.

Entering the refuge at the Narrow’s (the passage between Malheur Lake and Mudd/Harney Lakes) we stopped to check out some deeper water species including great looks at both Western and Clark’s Grebes as well as Double–crested Cormorants. An over-flight by a flock of American White Pelicans revealed their beautiful snow white bodies and black wing patches as they banked in formation, reflecting the morning sun.

During the day, John began work on his son Aidan’s assigned “Mission Impossible” to photograph every species of Ground-squirrel. The abundant Belding’s Ground Squirrel and Least Chipmunk at the Refuge Headquarters were very cooperative. Carol found her second MacGillivray’s Warbler but was again unable to relocate it when the group caught up with her. The HQ feeder was covered with Yellow-headed Blackbirds, and California Quail ate around the edges of the feeder area. A pair of Great-horned Owls slept peacefully in a fir tree throughout our stay.

Although we encountered Mule Deer, Black-tail Jack Rabbit (actually a hare not a rabbit) and Ring-neck Pheasant along the north portions of the Central Patrol Road, the fields were dry, so we decided to head back and have lunch at The Narrows and then head out along “Raptor Alley” to Princeton (OR not NJ). Red-tailed, Ferruginous and Swainson’s Hawks ate in the fields. A Prairie Falcon took a rodent while we watched. Our first encounter with Pronghorn was another highlight along raptor alley. The group got a good look at the fastest land animal of North America as two Pronghorn meandered across the open range.

On our way back to Burns, we stopped to check out the Burrowing Owl that Michael had seen the week before. He was relocated on a burrow on the other side of the road. The cliff-nesting Barn Owls were more cooperative as one roosted in sight of the road.

Participants took dinner on their own this evening. After dinner, John took several people owling up into the forest north of town and listened to numerous Western Screech Owls responding to calls, as well as Pacific Treefrog. Two coyotes were also noted crossing the road on the way back to the hotel.

Thursday 4/26
We started early and headed out to drive the loop around the base of Steens mountain. Stopping again at the Narrows, several people got good looks at a couple of Red-breasted Mergansers, an uncommon spring migrant through the basin. Trumpeter Swan and numerous waterfowl were seen in the wetlands along the road to Frenchglen.

Our next stop was in the town of Frenchglen for a restroom, and good looks at a Ring-billed Gull that sat on a fence post for the entire visit, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, and we added the Lesser Goldfinch to our list. Then we headed over the drainage divide into the Catlow Valley, another of the basins in the Basin and Range province of Oregon. Pronghorn, Cottontail Rabbit and a hunting coyote greeted us as we passed. Several Valley Garter Snakes were noted on the road.

Another great pick-up was a stop near a cattle watering hole were the group viewed the largest of the phalarope’s, Wilson’s Phalarope foraging. When feeding, a Wilson's Phalarope will often swim in a small, rapid circle, forming a small whirlpool. This behavior is thought to aid feeding by raising food from the bottom of shallow water. The bird will reach into the outskirts of the vortex with its bill, plucking small insects or crustaceans caught up therein.

As we left the Catlow Valley to climb the gentle west face of Steens Mountain, Aimee and Michael stopped to examine some of the Pleistocen shoreline sediments while a lone Chukar climbed the hillside on the other side of the road. A streamside nest with young red-tail hawks and Great-horned owls greeted us to one of the driest places in North America, the Alvord Desert.

Lunch and world-famous milkshakes (no straw provided!) in Fields (An old stagecoach station) was accompanied by the sighting of a Nashville Warbler and followed by a stroll through the tree-lined fresh-water pond of the Fields oasis.

Unfortunately, the trees were pretty quiet with only a few Yellow-rumped Warblers and a pair of sleeping Great-horned Owls. Remains of a Barn-owl suggested that the oasis is ruled by the larger Great-horned Owls who don’t like intruders. This oasis also provided us with our only accipiter sighting, one lone Copper’s Hawk.

During the drive along the rugged mile-high east face of Steens Mountain we visited both the bath house (what remains of it) at the Malheur Hot Springs and the remote natural Mickey Hot Springs (Sign at the spring said DANGER - temperatures run from 120 to 180 degrees). At the spring several spectacular desert wildflowers were in bloom including, greasewood, larkspur, narrow-leaf paintbrush, and desert paintbrush.

We did have an opportunity to check off several species of sagebrush specialists at the spring including the Loggerhead Shrike, Vesper Sparrow, and Sage Sparrow. A shy Burrowing Owl kept an eye on our visit to Mickey. Mammal wise we hit pay-dirt with a phenomenal view at close range of one of the most majestic creatures of the North American deserts, and one of the rarest, the Desert (California) Bighorn Sheep.

Friday 4/27
Five-thirty in the morning and everyone is awake. It is already getting light outside and we are driving toward Foster Flats to see if the road to the Sage Grouse lek has dried. It has, and we arrive on the lek around 6:30. Approximately 10 males are strutting their stuff, apparently to only one or two females, while Horned Larks feed on the ground and Western Meadowlark sing to the rising sun. Suddenly, a dark silhouette appears to the east and a Red-tailed Hawk swoops over the lek. The grouse scatter, and the mating ritual is over for another day. All in the group agree that waking up early this day has been worth the effort!

We stop briefly at Peter French’s Round Barn and pick up a Sage Thrasher as well as a Raven that has taken up residence in the center of the barn and Cliff Swallows that are moving into every nook and cranny. The barn was built in 1883 on the Pete French Diamond spread northeast of the "P" Ranch headquarters at Frenchglen. The structure, 100 feet in diameter with a 60-foot lava rock corral inside, is unique and was restored in 1970.

Within Diamond Craters itself, scenery and geology demand attention at the Lava Pit Crater where a lake of molten basalt rose to fill and then overflowed on several occasions producing small lava flows down the sides of the crater.

Sagebrush Lizard was noted scurrying around in the rocks and Common Raven is viewed nesting within the crater. Carol picks up a Spotted Towhee as the group explores the lava flows. We note that the BLM is in the process of a major grassland restoration project within the Outstanding Natural Area. The sagebrush and rabbitbrush have been burned and much of the area tilled and apparently planted in native grasses. No interpretive signs are present.

When we arrive at Malheur Crater (a volcanic maar - A maar is a low-relief, broad volcanic crater formed by shallow explosive eruptions. The explosions are usually caused by the heating and boiling of groundwater when magma invades the groundwater table. Maars often fill with water to form a lake), the entire area appears to be as desolate as the surface of the moon. Peering into the crater, we find a life-filled pond with frogs and Mallard, Coot, Red-winged Blackbird, Marsh Wren, and finally the call of a shy Sora Rail.

Upon returning to the hotel, John again took a few participants into the forest. They were rewarded with sagebrush buttercup in bloom, Wild Turkeys (Merriam’s Race), Cassin’s Finch, Western Kingbird, Western Gray Squirrel and brief but satisfying view of a Bobcat!

Saturday 4/28
No trip across Hwy 20 in Central Oregon is complete without a stop at Glass Buttes to collect obsidian. Obsidian is formed when basalt cools rapidly, not allowing the time needed for crystals to form, therefore the basalt forms into a glass. Mixed among the obsidian were several wildflowers in full bloom, which included cushion phlox, wooly-pod locoweed and sage buttercup.

As we were winding up our collection, a beautifully marked adult Lark Sparrow posed on top of a Sagebrush demanding that all in the van get a good look at one more sagebrush species before moving on.

A short-cut past Prineville Reservoir and along the wild and scenic portion of the Crooked River yields more spectacular views of Basalt cliffs with their complex joint (fracture) patterns, as well as more Cliff Swallows and several groups of Bank Swallows.

After lunch in Madras, we head up Mount Hood for a scenic mid-afternoon stop. Called "Wy'east" by the Multnomah tribe, Mt. Hood is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc in northern Oregon. Mount Hood's snow-covered peak rises 11,249 ft and is home to twelve glaciers. It is the highest mountain in Oregon and the fourth-highest in the Cascade Range. Mount Hood is considered the Oregon volcano most likely to erupt, though based on its history, an explosive eruption is unlikely. Still, the odds of an eruption in the next 30 years are estimated at between 3 and 7 percent, so the USGS characterizes it as "potentially active"

At dinner at Salty’s on the Columbia, we have an opportunity to eat great food, listen to one of Portland’s premier Jazz Bands (the Mel Brown Trio), and to see the nesting Osprey and discuss the joys of bird watching with our waitress.

Sunday 4/29--Optional Day 9 extension
At the first Mt. St. Helens visitor’s center, participants walked the nature trail through the adjacent wetlands. Singing Common Yellowthroat and Marsh Wren were accompanied by Red-winged Blackbirds, a Great-blue Heron, Great Egret, and a tiny Rufus Hummingbird, all against a background of the volcano and the lake. A noisy Red-breasted Sapsucker tapped on the metal lamppost in the parking lot.

Approaching the volcano, the clouds kept parting and closing in again, teasing us with view of the peak. A lone black-tailed deer was noted on the side of the road grazing as we approached the viewing area.

By the time we reached Cold-water Ridge, the view from the visitor’s center was pretty much un-obscured by clouds. Steam rose from the crater where the dome continued to grow as we watched. Unknown to us at the time, a one of the daily, very small earthquakes (Magnitude 2.2) associated with the continuing eruption, rumbled 1.1 kilometers below the mountain’s crater at 1: 55:39 while several of us were eating lunch on the deck at the visitor’s center.

John, always on the look for mammals, big and small, located a herd of Elk, (Elk, or Wapiti is the second largest species of deer in the world, after the moose. The name "Wapiti" is from the Native American word waapiti, or "white rump" of Shawnee origination), on a hillside to the northwest of Mt. St. Helens and shared this with us as we headed back to Portland.

--JOHN PARKE AND MICHAEL POLLOCK

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