Month: October 2009

Mt. Rainier

Birding-wise my final day in Eastern Washington was an absolute disaster. I didn’t see a single bird at the Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge where I’ve gotten such great shots previously.

Things got even worse when I returned to Yakima Sportsmen State Park for some final birding. Not only didn’t I see any birds, I managed to get lost in the circular trails and my iPhone got such crummy reception it showed me as being on an island that was actually across the river from where I was. It was a small enough park that I never felt particularly threatened, but I really didn’t want to spend two and half hours wandering in circles thinking, “I’ve been here before.”

Things didn’t seem to be getting much better on the way home, either. I’d decided to take the “scenic” route home through Chinook Pass. When I actually got to the turn-off, though, there were huge highway billboards advising that Chinook Pass was closed because of a recent slide. I was dreading having to go through White Pass and Packwood as it is a long way south of Tacoma.

Instead, I ended up driving through Mt. Rainier National Park, which was free since I have a senior pass. Even though it was rainy most of the way, the fall colors were dramatic, rivaling the sheer beauty of the mountain itself.

I’d forgotten how beautiful the road itself was, with bridges and tunnels carved out of stone years ago when craftsmanship was important,

Tunnel

pullouts offering dramatic views across the valley,

Fall Colors Across the Valley

wayside parks leading to streams that have carved into the mountain for centuries,

Stream

but most of all the sheer beauty of leaves turning gold,

Gold and Red Leaves

and red.

Red Leaves

Even in the rain I couldn’t resist a number of short walks and promised myself that I would return soon if the rain would permit. I doubt I’ll ever drive through Packwood again.

Serendipity

After three plus hours at Cold Springs National Wildlife Refuge I decided I’d taken all the pictures I wanted of the birds that were there and no new birds seemed to be coming in. It was only a little after noon, though, and I was in no rush to get back to Yakima. So I decided to push the “Geographic Points” button on my new Garmin GPS and see what showed up nearby. When I saw that a unit of the Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge was close, I decided to take a look.

As it turned out, that was the luckiest choice of my vacation. I got more pictures in Umatilla than in all the rest of my trip. I started with the driving tour of the area but didn’t see many birds. While walking one area and taking pictures of the trees, though, I noticed a Great Egret fly overhead toward the Columbia River and then another.

Great Egret Fllying Overhead

It seemed clear they must be coming from a pond that wasn’t on the “tour.” After a little walking I realized they were coming from the area designated as “hunting blinds.” Since it wasn’t yet duck season, and since there were no cars in any of the parking lots, I decided to check out the hunting blinds.

It really didn’t surprise me when I found that the best birding was to be found in the hunting blinds. After walking a half mile or so, I climbed up into a blind and looked over the vegetation to see a large pond filled with thousands of birds,

Lots of Different Birds

the most obvious being a small flock of White Pelicans.

As soon as I stood up, though, the closest birds took off, first ducks then this Cormorant.

Cormorant Taking Off

The Pelicans, unlike the ducks, didn’t seem to be in any hurry to take off. This large Pelican must have stuck around another half hour.

Pelican Swallowing Fish

And by that time a small flock of Long-Billed Dowitchers flew in

Dowitchers In Flight

apparently indifferent to me and my camera, wandering closer and closer the longer I stayed.

Dowitchers Wading

Of course, by the time I’d discovered this bonanza the light was fading and I had to get back to Yakima before it was dark if I wanted a camping spot. Next time I visit the area I’ll be sure to check here first.

Cold Springs National Wildlife Refuge

One of the main reasons I went to Eastern Washington last week was to explore some of the National Wildlife Refuges in Northern Oregon. Unfortunately, the main one I wanted to visit closes all roads between October and February, which just happens to coincide with the hunting season — Shades of Nisqually. Still, I did get a chance to explore the Cold Springs National Wildlife Refuge for about four hours.

Though a little disappointed at how few different pictures I got there, it was a thoroughly enjoyable day. I hiked in nearly a mile with my 500mm lens and tripod and set up above the wetlands and waited for birds to show, and they did, at least some did. Generally they started quite far away and then gradually moved closer as they got accustomed to my presence. Equally important, the fog began to clear and the sun shine through more and more as they moved closer.

I have dozens of shots of this Lesser Yellowlegs since I could get better and better shots as the morning wore on.

Lesser Yellowlegs

These Short-Billed Dowitchers started even farther away but had moved relatively close after three hours.

Short-Billed Dowitchers

I’m not positive, but I think by their behavior that these are Long-Billed Dowitchers. They seemed slightly larger with longer bills, spent most of their time in deeper water, and seemed like a much smaller flock than the Short-Billed Dowitchers — all characteristics of Long-Billed Dowitchers according to the book.

Long-Billed Dowitcher

Needless to say, the real action seemed to be taking place on the other side of the pond, the side closed to admittance. There were certainly thousands of Canada Geese (in the background), and hundreds, if not thousands, of Cormorants, with a few large Pelicans thrown in for good measure.

Birds on Far Shore of Lake

Most of the birds I saw at the refuge were the very same birds I’ve seen at the ocean, about an hour and half away from my house. It’s surprising to find “sea” birds in the middle of the desert, but I’m new at this birding thing, and even newer at watching migrations so it’s all rather exciting to me. The INTP in me loves discovering how much I don’t know — and that sometimes seems infinite.

Day One

I spent the first day of last week’s Eastern Washington trip at the Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge and the Sunnyside Wildlife Recreation Area. It had rained a half-inch earlier in the day and the ground was at times nearly impassible, as the clay soil turned to a gumbo-like texture.

The birding wasn’t much better, though I did manage to see many of the same birds I’d seen three weeks earlier when I was further east. There were still lots of flickers,

Flicker In Russian Olive Tree

Yellow-rumped Warblers,

Yellow Rumped Warbler

and Red-Tailed Hawks,

Red-Tailed Hawk

which, unlike this one, were usually flying by as I flew down a narrow highway.

I also managed to spot these two pheasant on a dirt road, but they quickly ducked into the brush as I approached,

Pheasant in Bushes

not surprising considering it was Upland Bird Hunting Season.

The highlight of the day came when I spotted several River Otter swimming in the canal that fed the large pond.

Otter Looking Back

I haven’t managed to see any River Otter since Nisqually shut down the five-mile loop so it was a treat to see them again even though I wasn’t able to get nearly as good of shots as I’ve gotten at Nisqually.

Overall, I was a little disappointed in the area but perhaps it was to be expected since several locals told me that the weather had been frigid the entire week before and many of the birds had left the area.