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.

More Eastside of Mt Hood

The last few weekends I have birded some new trails in Wasco County. One was the Fifteenmile Creek Trail from FR 4421 up to the 457 trail interchange. Best access is to go out FR 44 to the turn-off for Fifteenmile Ck Campground (FR 4420), then stay on paved road all the way to edge of Mt Hood Nat Forest, then turn left.  The trail cuts through an oak forest up to the true firs.  It was very birdy and fun to explore.  





I was lazy and did not take any photos but here is a Hermit Warbler singing a typical song version heard on the eastern side of Hood.




My ebird list:

Sharp-shinned Hawk  1
Red-tailed Hawk  2
Williamson's Sapsucker  1
Downy Woodpecker  1
Hairy Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker  3
Western Wood-Pewee  11
Hammond's Flycatcher  3
Cassin's Vireo  1
Warbling Vireo  7
Gray Jay  2
Steller's Jay  2
Common Raven  1
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  11
Red-breasted Nuthatch  9
House Wren  2
Golden-crowned Kinglet  5
Hermit Thrush  6
American Robin  6
Nashville Warbler  5
MacGillivray's Warbler  3
Common Yellowthroat  4
Yellow Warbler  2
Yellow-rumped Warbler  3
Black-throated Gray Warbler  2
Hermit Warbler  7
Wilson's Warbler  1
Spotted Towhee  4
Song Sparrow  3
Dark-eyed Junco  7
Western Tanager  4
Black-headed Grosbeak  2
Cassin's Finch  1


Last weekend I camped Saturday night along FR 27.  I was hoping to hear some Flammulated Owls, but turns out I pitched my tent in the backyard of a Barred Owl family. So no other owls heard.  Flammulated Owls have been found just north of where I camped.




The next morning I hiked into the White River Wildlife Management Area. My hope was to find some hatch-year birds to photograph.  I saw a number of them, had a hard time getting them to sit still.  My favorite was a young Nashville Warbler.  I also wanted to search for Ash-throated Flycatchers.  Some have been spotted in Wasco County during the summer. But ebird has no records of them along FR 27 in the summer. I was curious if I could find a breeding pair.  None found, the hunt continues.

I had concerns about snakes so I kept Huck on a leash while I was birding the oak forest. There is another reason in photo below.

I also saw numerous deer and a bobcat.  Striped Skunk, the other option would be Western Spotted Skunk according to mammal list for Mt Hood.

This is a typical view of a side of a canyon covered in oaks.

Going down the road to Tygh Creek was a wonderful strip of woods full of Nashville and MacGillivray's Warblers.

As I mentioned, I was trying to find hatch-year birds.  Most young birds were Chipping Sparrows and a few cowbirds hanging with Cassin's Finch flocks. 

 I thought this was a female MacGillivray's Warbler. After reading The Warbler Guide I am not sure if the dark throat mottling is dark enough to kick it out of being a female.   So maybe it is a hatch-year male?  The Nashville I saw was still molting out of its downy feathers,  this shows none of those feathers. So I am sticking with female Mac.

I heard a number of Gray Flycatchers calling in the oak forest.  I was thinking the very short primary projection might make this a young bird.  I had a hard time aging them.  Pyle says young birds should have a strong lemon wash on undersides. I did not see any wash on this bird.

House Wrens were common and out singing.

My eBird list:

Wild Turkey  3

Turkey Vulture  3
Red-tailed Hawk  2
Mourning Dove  4
Northern Pygmy-Owl  1
Vaux's Swift  9
Hairy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  1
Western Wood-Pewee  4
Hammond's Flycatcher  1
Gray Flycatcher  7
Empidonax sp.  2
Cassin's Vireo  3
Steller's Jay  2
American Crow  3
Common Raven  1
Mountain Chickadee  12
Red-breasted Nuthatch  13
Rock Wren  1
House Wren  4
Western Bluebird  8
Hermit Thrush  1
American Robin  4
Orange-crowned Warbler  2
Nashville Warbler  9
MacGillivray's Warbler  8
Yellow-rumped Warbler  3
Black-throated Gray Warbler  4
Spotted Towhee  4
Chipping Sparrow  21
White-crowned Sparrow  3
Dark-eyed Junco  12
Western Tanager  6
Black-headed Grosbeak  2
Brown-headed Cowbird  6
Cassin's Finch  12

My second stop was a dry pine forest, I hiked up a road to see what birds were out.  By then it was noon and hot.  All the birds were quiet except a few meadowlarks.  Huck had enough and turned around and went back to the car.  He was waiting for me upon my return.

On the way home I stopped off at Tygh Ridge Road to see the Grasshopper Sparrows.

Horned Lark were also sharing the fence posts.

Thanks for visiting!