Sagebrush Country: A Wildflower Sanctuary
by Ronald J. Taylor

If you decide to spend any time in the shrub-steppe or steppe
vegetation of the basin, this is an excellent plant book. On the surface
it might seem like a casual field guide, and it doesn't have every
species in it, but the photos are great and is probably the best quick
reference many biologists dealing with the steppe and shrub-steppe can
use. When doing my veg work on the quilomene its always in my pack.

Speaking of the shrub-steppe....spring comes early out there and within
2-3 weeks the sage sparrows will return, followed soon after by the
other residents out there. Some of the early wildflowers are already
popping up.
I'll post more on this later, but this spring I'm looking for
volunteers to help me nest search for Sage Thrasher nests from about
Apr.15-May.15. If interested let me know and i'll keep you posted as
time gets closer and I will probably do a more formal post later asking
for volunteers.

Good Birding.

Scott Downes
downess at cwu.edu
Ellensburg WA

"Think of the fierce energy concetrated in an acorn! You bury it in the
ground, and it explodes into a great oak. Bury a sheep, and nothing
happens but decay." -george bernard shaw