Mostly Wasco

6/21/19

Hi All,

Since I had painted the house and partially landscaped my backyard, I felt I earned some time off, so made some strategy to work on Wasco County.  I was motivated by a post from some birders who birded there just a few days ago who relayed some fun times.  For those of you who don’t live in Oregon, Wasco County is just east of Mt Hood, which is the northern most mountain in Oregon, and Wasco’s northern boundary is the Columbia River.  As I had birded along that river a few times, I needed to bird inland mostly for land birds.  The east slope of the Cascades meets the high prairie down the north/south center, and so I had plans to bird around the Tygh Valley for much of the time.  My Wasco list stood at 130 and I intended to bring it over 150 if possible.  

So I took off in my truck/camper around mid morning.  I reached Detroit Flats in 2 hours or so, and found that the Horned Grebe was still there, although I mainly stopped there because the day before a few birders found an Eastern Kingbird, a very rare bird for the county.  It did not stay overnight though.  From there I headed north, fairly high on the west flank of the Cascades and crested them after another hour, into Wasco County.  

Horned Grebe

Shortly after entering the county, I pulled over by a marsh and added Yellow Warbler and Common Yellowthroat.  I left the camera in the truck or I might have obtained some decent shot of these. 

I meandered downslope and camped at Bear Springs Campground, mainly because the birders referred to earlier had heard some Barred Owls at night, and I was not disappointed.  I was also able to add a Macgillvray’s Warbler, Hermit and Swainson’s Thrush, Chestnut-sided Chickadee and Hammond’s Flycatcher.

When I left the campground, I could tell my power steering fluid was low and was a little worried, so sent up a prayer.  In 10 minutes I reached the small town of Pine Grove, and as I was going by what looked like a shop for logging trucks, I pulled in as there was a man working on a tractor out front.  I told him I thought I was low on power steering fluid, and he said, “Well that is easy to fix.”  After opening the hood and checking it, he promptly went inside and returned in less than a minute, filled it up, and that was that.  I told him I’d be glad to pay him, but he said, “No, I just enjoy helping people.”  I replied, “I thought you’d say something like that,” and it was off for more birding.  It is really great to run into people with big hearts like that.   

I was now on the prairie and soon added Grasshopper Sparrow on Victor Road.  

The view west from Victor Road, looking west to the mountains

Horned Lark along Victor Rd.

After and hour I reached the town of Tygh Valley.  The area must be the California Ground Squirrel capitol of the world.  They really were literally everywhere.  I walked a certain road where there appears to be a small colony of Acorn Woodpeckers, the first for the east side of the mountains.  I first heard one, and eventually he showed himself.  This was along Shadybrook Lane, where the birding was quite good.  

Another birder stopped and chatted, and we exchanged notes on birding and he was off.  Then a local man stopped and we also talked a while.  While chatting I noticed a couple of fawns just ahead and so was able to get a few pics of them and their mom.  I realized after talking to the other birder and local man that there must be quite a few Wild Turkeys in the area, but I was not successful in locating any, despite lots of searching.  I figured many females were incubating eggs and the males were making themselves scarce. 

California Ground Squirrel

Ash-throated Flycatcher

Western Kingbird

Bambi

Mom was snorting and impatient that her twins wandered near the road.

Junior finally realized he may be in danger and bolted back to mom

After that I drove a few miles to the town of Wamic and the Pine Hollow Reservoir and environs.  First stop was the Price Rd wetlands where I picked up Coot, Green-winged Teal, Marsh Wren and Yellow-headed Blackbird.  I must have disturbed a pair of Red-tailed Hawks as they kept circling above me and screaming quite loudly.

Red-tailed Hawk

Yellow-headed Blackbird

I drove around the reservoir but it was mostly devoid of birds, so I went just west of there and set up camp at the White River Wildlife Management Area where I added Gray Flycatcher and Green-tailed Towhee, and got some semi good shots of a Lewis Woodpecker.

The view from my campsite

During the night I starting hearing what I thought was a screech owl, but after listening a little better, decided it was a Wilson’s Snipe. Later on I heard 2 Great-horned Owls.  I returned to the Price Road Wetlands hoping to hear rails or soras but it was not to be.  One last drive around Tygh Valley failed to produce any turkeys again as well.  A final last short jaunt down a side road turned up a pair of Eastern Kingbirds, so that was a nice consolation. 

Some miles along the highway I stopped at a rest area where I found Brewer’s, Sagebrush and Larks Sparrows.  The Larks Sparrows were feeding young, so some were recently hatched birds, but the Sagebrush Sparrow was probably the best bird for rareness for the trip. I ended up reaching 156 for Wasco.

I was not prepared to bird in the next county to the south, Jefferson, so continued on to Deschutes County and birded the Hatfield Lake area where I added 3 to that county - Marsh Wren, Redhead and Brewer’s Sparrow.  The next few shots were from Hatfield Lake

Male Ruddy Duck.  They are sometimes called "Stiff Tailed Ducks." 
Hunters have called them "Bluebills."

Ruddy Duck

Red-winged Blackbird

Male and female Buffleheads with their brood

With so many nest boxes here, Tree Swallow are much in evidence

Just fledged Tree Swallows

On the way east I pulled over to take some pics of the mountains I’d soon be crossing, and immediately saw this Ferruginous Hawk, so got some decent shots of him. 

Ferruginous Hawk

View of the Three Sister Mountains

Since Detroit Flats is on the way, and is a good excuse to stretch one’s legs, I stopped and walked the spit where birders always go, and took a pic of this osprey.  I am pretty sure he has a catfish as there appears to be some whiskers, but I might have to defer to my older brother who is the fish expert.  Since there are many trout in this lake, I am surprised to see that Ospreys catch these bottom dwelling fish.

That is not a rubber ducky near them

Osprey with a fish

About 30 miles father along, I got stuck in a long line of traffic because of an accident.  I started complaining some, but then realized that if I had not stopped to do some birding and stretch my legs, I might have been involved in the accident, so stopped my grumbling.