Tagged: clackamas

Select Photos From Winter 2014

Sub-Alpine Bog Meadow Survey

Hiked into Black Wolf and Cottonwood Meadows on a sunny August day.  Best birding was early morning at Black Wolf.  The hike down to Anvil Lake and an unsuccessful attempt at Dinger Lake (too much of a scramble for the dog) yielded a few of the expected montane birds.  On the return trip back through Black Wolf there was a trio of Lewis’ Woodpeckers, a first for the ecoregion.   By mid-day at Cottonwood most birds had hunkered down against the heat.  A couple of Common Nighthawks cruised overhead.

Level IV (4c) Cascade Crest Montane Forest

The alternate naming of species reflects differing common names.

Mt. Hood at Timberline

Covering:

Level IV: 4d Cascades Subalpine/Alpine

Clackamas Cascades, Photo Essay

Faraday Reservoir to Little Crater Lake.

Level IV: 4a Western Cascades Lowlands and Valleys
Level IV: 4b Western Cascades Montane Highlands
Level IV: 4c Cascade Crest Montane Forest

Early May at Camassia Photo Essay

Level IV: (3c) Prairie Terraces

All native species:

Following the Bloom at Camassia

Dropped into Camassia today to check on the progression of the wild flower phenology.  The Fawn Lilies are just about bloomed out, Trillium ovatum is gone except for a few wilting stragglers, while albidium is still found in fine shape.  Rooting around in the duff i found Wild Ginger in bloom.  Fringe Cups are coming out and the first False Solomon’s Seal is unfolding.  Blue-eyed Mary, Early Saxifrage, and Rosy Plectritis are still in their prime.

The best find of the day: California Darner!  Not a record early flight (15 April) but my earliest by 6 days.  The eyes are still grey so it is recently emerged, just past teneral.

As an update: earlier i identified a geranium as Dove’s Foot Geranium.  Well, when i was checking on it today the population had been eradicated.  I talked to one of the naturalists there and she said it was actually Shiny Geranium, an invasive.  In my defense — none of the floras i consult (see references page) has Shiny Geranium listed — oy vey!

Spring at Camassia

This is the best time of the year to visit Camassia Natural Area. There’s a few birds around, but the main reason i am sure to visit in spring is that it is one of the best places in the Metro Area for a diverse cross section of wildflowers that i know of. (well, i know of one other but i promised Lona not to tell)

Owing to a variety of habitats there are many niches to fill: woodland, prairie, wetlands, seeps and rocky outcroppings.  The preservation of this area has been remarkable.  Except for the roar of 205 on the north side, you wouldn’t know you were a stone’s throw to the Tri-county Metro area.

The show is just getting started but some of the early bloomers are already fading.  I made trips there at the end of March and early April.  A magnificent showing by Fawn Lilies this year.  And on one seep i even found a Chickweed Monkeyflower population which was quite unexpected.

Over the winter the volunteers put in a new path that leads down to the stream and into a small wetland.  I’ll be interested to see what comes up in this habitat.

All flowers pictured in the gallery are native. (UPDATE — the Dove’s Foot Geranium is mis-identified.  It is actually Shiny Geranium and it is an invasive.)
Camassia Natural area lies in Ecoregion LIV (3c) Willamette Valley Prairie Terraces

01 april 2012 – around the area

i spent most of the day sunday cruising the Sandy River drainage from Sandy to Marmot. along Ten-eyck rd there were Varied Thrush at a very high density, about 25 to 50 birds per mile. i drove about nine miles so that would put the number, conservatively, at 250! but other than that the only other notable bird was a Rough-legged Hawk in the Marmot flats just north of 26.

i was hoping to kick up a grouse or two — nary a peep in that dept. called it a day early, until …

got a call from Dave and Shawneen that they were sitting on a Loggerhead Shrike and a Say’s Phoebe out at the Troutdale airport. Sweet! They were still tending the birds when i got there about 10 minutes later. a couple of pictures of the LOSH can be found here and here.

and a pin map showing where i saw the birds.  this image was obviously take quite a while ago as the landscape looks quite different today.  you’ll have to open the map in another window or zoom out to see both pins

31 march 2012 — east clackamas county

good day in the county in spite of the early morning rain.

county notables:
Acorn Woodpeckers in Clark Park and the corner of Eves and Sawtell –
six total.
Eurasian Collared Doves along Dryland and Feyrer Rds — seven total.
Western Bluebirds along Dryland just north of Barnards Rd – one male/female pair.
Great Egrets northwest of the Arndt/Knight’s Bridge intersection –
five total.

Wilhoit Springs was overrun by Varied Thrush, way over 25 birds.

55 species on the day.

30 oct 2011 — molalla forest road

Molalla River, Clackamas, US-OR
Oct 30, 2011 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
25.0 mile(s)
Comments:     Rainy day so i drove the Molalla River road and scouted the BLM Recreational Corridor
27 species

Cackling Goose (minima)  1500     In a field just outside of Molalla
Mallard  1
Hooded Merganser  3
Common Merganser  3
Great Blue Heron  1
American Kestrel  3
Killdeer  2
Mourning Dove  6
Belted Kingfisher  1
Northern Flicker  1
Steller’s Jay  2
American Crow  4
Common Raven  1
Black-capped Chickadee  4
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  14
Red-breasted Nuthatch  1
White-breasted Nuthatch  2
Pacific Wren  3
Golden-crowned Kinglet  25
American Robin  2
Varied Thrush  4
Spotted Towhee  2
Fox Sparrow (Sooty)  1
Song Sparrow  2
White-crowned Sparrow  8
Golden-crowned Sparrow  18
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)  10

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)