Crook County in July

Crook County early July 2018

Hi All,

It is looking like I am retired now.  It hopefully appears that my cancer is in the rear view mirror, but since my energy level is below par, and my mental acuity is such as well, I figure I won’t be going back to work anytime soon, if ever.  So I bought a truck and camper with which to continue taking jaunts around the state both birding and enjoying the scenery.   I can still take walks of up to 5 miles (but might pay for it), but 1-2 is more likely.  Since Rosie is committed to taking care of her mom, most of my jaunts will be solo for now. 

I had been in touch with Chuck Gates of Prineville over the years, and now sensed that he was free and enjoying his retirement, so contacted him about birding in his neck of the woods - Crook County.  Early July is not the best time for birding as the heat of summer needs to be dealt with, and the birds are not as active.  But I needed to try out the truck and camper and arranged with Chuck to explore Crook with him on July 3.  My Crook bird list sat at 110, and after birding with him I figured I ought to try to reach 150 in each county.  That way I’d be more familiar with the state should I want to up the bar to 175 in each county.  

I took off mid morning on Sunday, July 2nd, with plans to camp at Lost Lake in Linn County, about 2 miles from Santiam Pass.  There was only one other camping party there, so I basically had the place all to myself.  There had been recent reports from there of Green-tailed Towhee and Red-naped Sapsucker, so I walked around the entire lake but did not find anything other than the expected birds.  The lake was quite dry so there were not even the usual Barrow’s Goldeneyes there.  I almost stepped on a Spotted Sandpiper nest about 50 meters from the water, so since the bird had flushed I figured I’d take a pic of the nest.  I’d say there were 7-8 pairs nesting around the lake.

Spotted Sandpiper

Lost Lake.  Quite dry. 

Spotted Sandpiper nest.  Looks quite similar to a certain kind of candy eggs around Easter time.

It was a little cold for me during the night, and I did not hear any owls.  I headed up to the pass to the Hoodoo Ski parking lot to look for my 2 Linn County jinx birds - Cassin’s Finch and Clark’s Nutcracker.  As it was cold, misty and windy, I did not stay long but headed down the east slope, stopping at Cline Falls State Park for a short break where I took pics of some magpies.  The next stop was the  new Crooked River Wetlands just west of Prineville.  It was quite hot and windy there, but it was great to see what can be done with treated sewage water.  I walked around the entire complex, but only added Marsh Wren and Turkey Vulture to my Crook list.  There were swallows of all species, and plenty of blackbirds as well.  Ducks were sparse though.  I met an elderly birder named Bob, who is in recovery mode for some illness which the MDs do not yet have figured out yet.  It turned out I would run into him again. 

Black-billed Magpies 

After taking care of a few errands in town, I headed east and added Western Grebes at the Ochoco Reservoir, then headed north on Mill Creek Rd with plans to camp at Wildcat Campground.  Half way to the campground I stopped to look for Dippers at a bridge and saw a female Calliope Hummer and an Eastern Kingbird, the latter appears to have been a good find.  Since I got there with plenty of light, I walked the trail into the Mill Creek Wilderness, a superb hike in a ravine of Ponderosa Pines with steep sides.  The trail meanders across Mill Creek a few times.  Birding was slow, but it was nice to see a few Dusky Flycatchers, Calliope Hummingbirds, Lazuli Buntings. I found a “Western” type flycatcher and heard another singing the Pacific Slope song which I am familiar with here on the west side and got confused with an immature male Williamson’s Sapsucker. The best bird, it appears, was a singing Orange-crowned Warbler. 

Stein's Pillar, a unique rock formation along Mill Creek Road. 

If I thought it was cold the night before, it was REALLY cold this night, with temps at or below freezing.  I was awake before the alarm went off, so was ready to get in the truck and turn the heat on.  I met Chuck in town at 05:30, and we were off to explore Crook County.  It was great to finally meet him after corresponding for so many years.  We are about the same age and with birding in common, we hit it off great.  I learned a fair amount about birds and their habitat on the “other” side of the mountains.

I soon found out that it is a dry year on the east side, over in central Oregon.  The usual places which were wet were dry and so did not hold some of the sought after species.  I suspect that means it will be a bad fire season.  I also wonder if it means less mosquitos as I was not bothered by them anywhere I went.  We stopped here and there, and I picked up White-throated Swift for a county tick. We reached the Crooked River at the North Shore Road.  It was not even flowing!  Being dry it did not have any Blue-gray Gnatcatchers this year, a little bit of a let down.  We did hear Chats, a Rock Wren and some California Quail and other common species.  A little farther along we found a cooperative Ash-throated Flycatcher.  The peeps were just arriving and we ID’d Least and Western Sandpipers.  This is a cool location for birding in case one is working on his Crook list, and so is a must stop.

A cooperative Ash-throated Flycatcher along the North Shore Road.

Four buck Mule Deer along the Crooked River

As the sign says, this is the center of Oregon.

We then continued east along the Crooked River and hung a right up into the Maury Mts.   Just before this we reached the hamlet of Post, the center of the universe, or, I mean, Oregon.  One place where Chuck imitated a Pygmy Owl call which drew in Cassin’s Finches, Mountain Chickadees and Western Tanagers.  

This Cassin's Finch looks a little perplexed about Chuck's Pygmy Owl toots.

This beautiful Western Tanager came in to see the Pygmy Owl as well. 

We decided to go all the way to Antelope Reservoir, stopping here and there along the way.  As expected the reservoir was low, and we heard some Sandhill Cranes somewhere toward the other end and a pair of Western Bluebirds were feeding young at the boat launch area.  An Osprey caught a trout while we were there as well. 

While meandering back down to the highway, we had our best bird of the day - a Northern Goshawk dashed out from the left side of the road coming quite close to wing tapping the front of Chuck’s car and flew along in front of us a short distance before heading off to the other side of the road.  This drew a high five as we knew it might turn out to be the highlight of the day.  At an aspen grove we found 3 species of sapsuckers: Red-naped, Red-breasted and a pair of Williamson’s.  The Reds may have been a pair as they were seen together.  The Williamson’s were feeding young in a nest hole, so I tried to get a few pics.  The male and female look so different that at one time ornithologists thought they were two different species.  We also came across a recent burn (last year) but it was fairly birdless.  Chuck figured he would visit the area in the future as it held potential for woodpeckers. 

A Gray Flycatcher seen after leaving Antelope Reservoir. 

Male Williamson's Sapsucker with food for the kids

Female Williamson's Sapsucker feeding the kids

We continued heading east once we reached the Crooked River, passing the town of Paulina.  At one stop where he had heard of a report of a Bobolink was an Eastern Kingbird, a good find for the county.  We were entering raptor central, and I needed both Swainson’s and Ferruginous Hawks as well as a Prairie Falcon, and we saw all of them in the area, plus eagles, a kestrel and Harrier.  A second highlight for me was seeing a male Bobolink.  I have not seen one for many years, the last being at Malhuer NWR.  The bird was found at the east end of our jaunt, along Pruett Rd.  Since the wetlands were not so wet, both Willets and Curlews were not to be found.  We then returned to Prineville via the northern part of the Ochoco’s.  A White-breasted Nuthatch would have been a county tick, but we saw that bird in Wheeler County, so I’d have to wait until later on when camping at Antelope Reservoir.

What is interesting about this picture is that it has a Golden Eagle on the first pole,
a Bald Eagle on the second, and a pair of Red-tailed Hawks on the third.

Here is Bambi at the Bobolink location

This Prairie Falcon was nice enough to pose for his pic at close range

One of the many Red-tailed Hawks

One of the many Bank Swallows at the Prineville Sewage Treatment Plant

Back in Prineville we scored both Virginia Rail and Pied-billed Grebe just north of town, and then went west of town to the Tri-colored Blackbird colony where there were still plenty around.  Then we ended the day at Bob’s where his feeders held  Lesser Goldfinches. (The Anna’s Hummer was a no show in the short time we were there).  We had a fun day of birding and my Crook list got padded. When all is said and done, we were like a couple of half deaf old farts out enjoying what we like best - birding.

I decided I’d camp along the North Shore Road where we’d been earlier in the day, so headed off and found a place to camp before dark. I slept quite well and when I woke up it was 08:30, so headed out for a pre breakfast walk.  Here is a shot of my rig from a viewpoint looking back upstream.  When I got back to the truck the time was 07:45……so I guess when I looked at the small 6 on my iPhone I mistook it for an 8.  Oh well, after breakfast I walked the other direction playing Gnatcatcher songs with hopes of a response.  No luck.  There were lots of Lazuli Buntings around, and I never tire of seeing that vivid blue.  

A Downy Woodpecker was a seemingly overdue tick.  Chats and California Quail were vocal, and a mother Wood Duck with a load of kids trailing behind was cute.  

Looking east along the North Shore Road.  My rig can be seen center right.
 In normal years the water would be covering the brown area.

Just another beautiful Lazuli Bunting

I wear hearing aids, but my left ear still has quite an apparent deficit, so I am more dependent on my right ear. When almost back to the truck I heard what sounded like a cicada.  I keyed in to listening with my right ear and turned slowing around to the right and as I did so, it kept getting louder.  When I was then facing the other direction it was so loud, almost deafening, which was when I realized it was a rattlesnake just two feet away off to the side of the road.  It was like an automatic cardiac test, and I jumped back at warp speed.  He was a good four feet long and could have easily sunk his fangs into me.  I understand that they vibrate their tail as a warning to intruders, so I am glad he was merciful.

A Western Rattlesnake

After getting the rig ready, I drove a little further to where the river meets the reservoir hoping for some new shorebirds, but there were none.  So I turned around and headed east.  I finally saw a pair of Belted Kingfishers, another Crook tick, near a bridge I was to take up to Antelope Reservoir.  One thing nice about driving there is that I am inclined to take it slow for the sake of my camper, so certainly take in the scenery.

Belted Kingfisher

The Crooked River looking west

I camped in the campground at the reservoir for 2 nights so spent parts of 3 days birding the area.  Later on that first day I walked around the entire lake.  It is an interesting remote place, and there were not many others there, even though it was a holiday.  I tallied 38 species at the location.  I especially like seeing those not usually found on the west side like Pygmy Nuthatches, Black-backed  and White-headed Woodpeckers, Cranes, Cassin’s Finches, Mountain Bluebirds, and Bank Swallows.  On the east side of the lake was a pair of Bald Eagles with a nest.  Here are some photos from my time there.

A Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel has found a fisherman's bait - Velveta Cheese!

A White-breasted Nuthatch.  If you can get one to finally sit still you may get his pic

Antelope Reservoir with a fascinating cloud formation above

I don't think my wife would approve of feeding ground squirrels in the camper......

A beautiful male Mountain Bluebird, slightly out of focus

Bald Eagle nest,  right of center about 10 feet below the crown

One of the attending adult Bald Eagles

Another shot of the reservoir

Hairy Woodpecker

Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel filling his cheeks with peanuts.  He did not like the M&Ms or raisens, and since I do not like peanuts, it was a good arrangement.

Adult male White-headed Woodpecker

A dark phase Red-tailed Hawk

Black-backed Woodpecker

I had plans to journey over to the SE portion of Wheeler County to a horse camp near Wolf Mountain, so headed out after breakfast.  While driving along another (or the same?) Goshawk flew across the road from left to right. But when I got down to the Crooked River and got out to have a look around, I could see that the part of my camper where one of the rear turnbuckles hitches to the camper was pulling it down, loosening a weakened structure.  I figured it might not be safe to use it on wash boardy roads, so headed home to get it fixed.   It appears I ended up with 147 now for my Crook list, so just 3 short of 150. 

I decided to revisit the Hoodoo Ski resort parking area en route home.  There were hordes of campers, trailers, 5th wheels and tents.  I spoke with one man who was toting a bow and arrow, who relayed it was a big achery event.  The birds were almost non existent but I did find a Cassin's Finch, so only have the Nutcracker to find now. 

Next jaunt.......not sure, but am thinking of leaving on Labor Day to Diamond Lake to hike the trail to Mt Theilson to look for Rosy Finches.