Sunny day in Wasco County

If the forecast calls for rain in Portland, one possible spot to catch some sun is the White River WMA in Wasco County. I had a warm, sunny hike around a few of my favorite spots today.  I was looking for spring arrivals.

My first stop was at what I call the Bottomlands of Threemile Creek.  I found this meadow this past winter. I was eager to get down there this spring to see what would be there.  I was hoping for some hummingbirds,  this nice Nashville Warbler was a nice start to the day.

A view of the riparian area, the stream is an irrigation ditch, I believe it flows year-round.

The meadow, stream is off to the right.

I'll visit this spot in a few more weeks to see what else arrives.

Bird List:

Turkey Vulture  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Northern Flicker  2
Cassin's Vireo  5
Common Raven  1
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  3
Red-breasted Nuthatch  2
Golden-crowned Kinglet  3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  2
Nashville Warbler  4
MacGillivray's Warbler  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler  5
Black-throated Gray Warbler  6
Chipping Sparrow  7
Dark-eyed Junco  3
Golden-crowned Sparrow  2
Spotted Towhee  3
Cassin's Finch  1

I left this spot at 10 am to head to my favorite loop up on FR 27.  I was expecting to catch the first arrival of Gray Flycatcher, maybe just a few birds. I was wrong, the area is packed with them.

Long, narrow, straight sided bill, short primary extension and small dark tip to bill.

Chipping Sparrows were hiding everywhere as well.

This is the road/trail that goes down to Tygh Creek. I was birding here in early March, this tree was standing at the time. When it fell,  it brought down a few other trees. It took a bit of an effort to get through this mess.  Even Huck struggled under and over the branches.  He is taking his revenge out on a branch.

Tygh Creek is nice , but too noisy to hear any birds. MacGillivray's Warblers will be here in good numbers soon. I heard none that I was sure of today, heard a few strong chips, but lots of other noise made it tough to be sure.

Birds seen from car down to this spot:


Turkey Vulture  3
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Vaux's Swift  4
Northern Flicker  2
Gray Flycatcher  8
Cassin's Vireo  3
Steller's Jay  2
Common Raven  2
Mountain Chickadee  3
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  2
Red-breasted Nuthatch  2
House Wren  3
Western Bluebird  2
Orange-crowned Warbler  3
Nashville Warbler  12     numerous in all locations along trail.
Yellow-rumped Warbler  21
Black-throated Gray Warbler  9
Wilson's Warbler  1
warbler sp. (Parulidae sp.)  1     song only, possible Townsend's
Chipping Sparrow  19
Dark-eyed Junco  4
Cassin's Finch  3


There is another riparian area you pass by on the way to Tygh Creek.  I returned to this drier creek bed and hiked down to a watering hole then up to a ridge then back to the car.

By this time it was later in the day, the wind kicked up and the birds went quiet. Still a great birding experience.

The pond at the bottom.  

Birds seen in this section:


Vaux's Swift  2
Gray Flycatcher  3
Cassin's Vireo  4
Steller's Jay  3
Common Raven  1
House Wren  1
Orange-crowned Warbler  2
Nashville Warbler  4
Yellow-rumped Warbler  3
Black-throated Gray Warbler  4
Chipping Sparrow  15


The oak woodlands are beautiful with the new oak leaves and the blanket of yellow and purple flowers.  Lots of Chipping Sparrows, Gray Flycatcher, and a few bluebirds.

Proof that Rock Creek Reservoir is indeed a reservoir and not a big dry hole in the ground.

I drove to the area via Hwy 26 to FR 43 then up to FR 48. 

On the way home I tried to get from FR 48 to Hwy 35, I chickened out 2 miles short of my goal.  It does not look all that bad, but up ahead there is a big snow drift blocking the road.

I was surprised to hear or find no woodpeckers, never a lot of species but always a great birding experience. There is a google map of this area on the ECAS website/Wasco County/ White River WMA and environs.

ECAS Wasco County

Thanks for the visit.

And yes that is my wonderful Huck, he got his summer shave yesterday. He is much happier during the summer minus all that fur.

Mt Talbert Nature Park

Today, April 18th 2015, I went over to Mt Talbert Nature Park.  I can see it gets some activity on eBird but it deserves much more attention.  Mt Talbert is off I-205 and Sunnybrook Rd (next road south of Sunnyside Rd).  Head one block east on Sunnybrook, turn south on 97th Ave and follow it around until it turns into Mather Road.  Parking area is on the north side of road. METRO has a link about Mt Talbert , click here.

It is site H-12 on the Heritage Loop of the Oregon Birding Guide.  The link for that site is here.

This is a fantastic birding area.  I am kicking myself for not visiting it sooner.

Below is a shot of the parking area off Mather.  I arrived at 8 am and was the only car in lot.  I left at around 11:30 am when I took this picture.

Only the very talented will get lost, the area is well marked.  Trails are dirt but easy to hike. I hiked up  the Summit Loop, the inner loop on this guide.  I went clockwise, it  was about 2 miles or so.  The hill is a bit higher than the far-more-birded Mt Tabor.  If you can get up Tabor, you will have no problem here. 

The area is a mix of Douglas-fir, oak and maples.  Most of it is forested.  But there are openings and gaps in the trees to see the birds.

This is the first opening I came to.  It was full of warblers and siskins.  The birds were working their way across the sunny spots in the trees.

A view looking back down from where I came. 

Most of the warblers were Yellow-rumped.  I did see many Black-throated Gray  and Orange-crowned.  A number of Nashvilles were there as well.

Nashville Warbler.

Bird song quiz:

The answer:

Up at the top is a hardwood forest.  Warblers were flying everywhere.

Looking for warblers is hard on the neck.

Another gap in the trees and more warblers flying through.

The fine pointed spike like  bill of an Orange-crowned Warbler.  Helpful when looking straight up at a back-lit bird in the tree-tops.

There were two, maybe just one, Cassin's Vireos in the trees.

No shortage of nesting chickadees.

Another promising section of the trail.

I have been trying to practice seeing the width of the primaries on Anna's, in case I ever stumble across an Archilochus.  On Black-chinned and Ruby-throated, primaries P6 on in are narrower.  The even width of the primaries and long tail show it is Anna's, assuming no rufous on bird.

No dogs are allowed, it is a METRO site just like Smith-Bybee.  

I was surprised I did not hear any goldfinch, they may have been there but my concentration was elsewhere.  I was happy with the lack of House Finch.  Purple Finch were in every corner.  

Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  4
Mourning Dove  1
Anna's Hummingbird  3
Downy Woodpecker  1
Hairy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  2
Cassin's Vireo  2
Hutton's Vireo  3
Steller's Jay  4
Black-capped Chickadee  20
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  6
Red-breasted Nuthatch  15
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Pacific Wren  5
Bewick's Wren  2
Golden-crowned Kinglet  7
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  5
Hermit Thrush  1
American Robin  6
Orange-crowned Warbler  15
Nashville Warbler  5
Yellow-rumped Warbler  150
Black-throated Gray Warbler  40
Townsend's Warbler  3
Hermit Warbler  1     bold white wing bars with a  clean white flank all white tail, saw a flash of yellow in head. About all I saw, high in trees behind leaves.
Wilson's Warbler  1
Spotted Towhee  14
Song Sparrow  7
Dark-eyed Junco  20
House Finch  5
Purple Finch  10
Pine Siskin  40

The closed forest prevented me from seeing any hawks and the lack of clearings kept the sparrow sightings down.  Thought I heard a flycatcher once or twice but only one sound each time. A very birdy spot.  Well worth the visit.