Hi Tweeters:
The new Wenas website has an updated schedule for 2007. See
www.wenasaudubon.org
It contains information about the many field trips for birds, flowers,
wildlife, and general exploration that are offered Fri through Monday at
Wenas Creek, which is SW of Ellensburg at about 2300 feet. The campground
is in a ponderosa pine area. Field trips take place there and in several
other spectacular habitats.
Print out a copy of the field trips (the PDF version is shorter, and prints
out faster), and take it with you, because it is sometimes hard to get a
copy later at the camp when you want to go on a field trip. There are
signups at the big tree by the creek for some of the popular trips. Many of
the trips at the camp are drop-ins.
Camping is a popular way to experience the area,
but I myself stayed at a motel in Ellensburg last year, and that worked out
well. From Ellensburg to Wenas on a fairly good gravel road is
approximately 20+ miles. We traveled it in 40 minutes, but we didn't stop
to bird along the way. (The birding is spectacular.) The last mile on
Audubon Road is bumpy but passable w/ a passenger
car or RV. (But maybe not a Lamborghini.) Just go slow
the last mile or two.
The directions in the new website are good. The map is hard to print out,
so the written directions are the way to go. Or use the book, "A BIRDER'S
GUIDE TO WASHINGTON". It has excellent maps and directions.

The Wenas Creek area where we all meet is
located SW of Ellensburg. It is an excellent place to observe a wide range
of breeding birds within a short distance. This is the peak time of year to
get the most species, when from 130-150 species of birds are recorded! The
camp is in a beautiful area of tall ponderosa pines. The area has been
known to naturalists for years. The flowers are spectacular.
If you are coming over from the Seattle area, go on I-90 or travel on hwy
410 over Chinook. Chinook is now open. A good rest stop is at the top of
Snoqualmie Pass
at the Traveler's Rest (it's at the far east end of the ski area, and on the
north side of the road). It has a coffee shop inside to the right, and
restrooms on the left, and they have a lot of hummingbird feeders on the
front and back of the building. Watch for Rufous Hummingbirds. Across the
road from the Traveler's Rest, there is a brushy
area. Inside it there is a pond. Warblers can be all around this pond,
including MacGillivray's, Nashville, Yellow, and Yellow-rumped. The chalets
to the left have feeders (Band-tailed Pigeons and hummers).
Down at the second Ellensburg exit 109, after taking exit 109, double back
to the right 0.5 miles on Canyon Rd past all the gas stns.,
and turn left on Umtanum Road. Birding gets really interesting, especially
after Umtanum Rd turns to gravel. A wonderful explanation of this road
right down to where you can see what birds, and
two excellent maps showing the Wenas area are in, "A Birder's Guide To
Washington" edited by Hal Opperman starting on p 297. A great stop for many
birds is the
corral style parking lot on the left as you dip down to Umtanum Creek. The
trailhead to the trail along the creek is on the left of the road, and it
can have
Orioles and other birds. You can also follow the creek a few blocks to the
right near the gravel road. Someone saw an American Redstart in
there last year.
Continue on Untanum Road quite a ways. Down at the junction where it is
joined by a black top road, take a sharp right onto Audubon Road (also
called N. Wenas Rd) and reset your odometer. Take Audubon road as it
becomes progressively bumpier, and stays low near Wenas Creek. Travel
approx. 2.7 miles to a wooden bridge on the left. Cross it, turn right and
follow the very bumpy dirt road up to the right about 1/2 mile to a large
meadow and the end of the road. This meadow and the riparian zone to the
right down a little hill is our Audubon Camp area.
Bring tick repellent if you plan to look for birds in the sage brush along
the way.
Carry your own water at the campground.
Yours, Carol Schulz
DesMoines, WA
mail to: linusq at att.net