SHRUB-STEPPE CLASS - OLD VANTAGE HIGHWAY TO OTHELLO

24 APRIL 2010



Ellen and I led a class sponsored by the Seattle Audubon Society fieldtrip
to the western Columbia Basin. Our objectives were to introduce our
"students" to shrub-steppe plant and bird communities. Meeting in Seattle
before dawn, the trees were blowing in the wind. Later we passed through a
rain, then a snowstorm on Snoqualmie Pass. Though spring has been early in
arriving, our day east of the Cascades was plagued by cool and windy weather
which made finding twits in the bushes difficult. However, we pressed on; by
and by, the winds abated somewhat.. We did see birds!



Our first stop was on the Old Vantage Highway east of Kittitas. Here, the
"Big Sagebrush/Bluebunch Wheatgrass" community meets the rocky, thin-soiled
"Lithosol community." Even with effort, we had virtually no luck finding any
shrub-steppe specialties. We did see a Brewer's Sparrow briefly and loads of
migrant White-crowned Sparrows. A pair of Mountain Bluebirds by their nest
box posed nicely, a treat. The shrub-steppe wildflower show was in full
swing, though, so we concentrated on the botanical extravaganza: Sagebrush
Violets, Canby's and Umtanum Ridge biscuitroots (a local and rare species,
further threatened by the huge wind power projects fragmenting the lovely
habitat in the area), Hooker's balsamroot, and Microseris, very much like a
dandelion.



Winds at the Quilomene Wildlife Area, usually reliable for many shrub-steppe
birds, made birding useless, so we fled the area. We enjoyed good scope
views of a distant Loggerhead Shrike.



The big news at Quilomene WA is that another big windpower project is going
up just south of the Old Vantage Highway here. Lots more good shrub-steppe
habitat will be fragmented as a result, and birds and bats will die.



Continuing down the Old Vantage Highway, we peered into the basalt crevices
at eye level but could not find the usual Great Horned Owl tucked deep in a
recess. This proved a great stop for our first views of Loggerhead Shrike,
though.



A short distance down the valley at another stop, we all were treated to
superb views of a close Chukar. We also heard a singing Say's Phoebes, and
got a distant peek at a Sage Sparrow. Far off, a Sage Thrasher and Brewer's
Sparrow sang, not easy to hear above the winds. Loggerhead Shrike was
evidently nesting here as both adults of a pair were almost in constant
view. Nice!



At the Ginkgo Petrified State Forest State Park Interpretive Trail, the wind
had abated and I noticed a track leading south of the highway with a sign
stating "No Entry." I inquired with the Park Rangers on duty and they
granted us permission to walk up a ravine here into very good quality "Big
Sagebrush/Sandberg's bluegrass" habitat. On this trek we enjoyed superb
studies of Sage Sparrow. Whew!



Down to the Columbia River at Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park, it was
still blowing but we sought shelter in the lee of the interpretive center
where we birded the Wanapum Pool while having lunch. We heard and saw a few
Yellow-rumped Warblers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets here. Scoping the pool
below us yielded a variety of waterfowl (Am. Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked
Duck, Greater Scaup, Bufflehead, and Common Goldeneye) along with other
diving birds (Common Loon, Horned and Western Grebes, and several Caspian
Terns).



South of Vantage we headed along Huntzinger Road. It was much more tranquil
here and the day had warmed nicely, a relief to all. We admired an
impressive Great Horned Owl on the cliffs while Rock Wrens and Say's Phoebes
sang. Violet-green and Cliff Swallows fluttered by



On gravel islands in the Columbia River below Wanapum Dam, we had good looks
at American White Pelicans and 20 Caspian Terns. Wildflowers such as
Arrow-leaved balsamroot and showy phlox were in full bloom, beautiful
indeed.



Across the Columbia River south, we headed east along Crab Creek, making a
few stops to study the "Greasewood and Saltgrass" community. Songbirds were
in short supply but an adult Golden Eagle soared beautifully over the crest
of the Saddle Mountains, and both Prairie Falcon and White-throated Swift
dashed away at warp speed.



Farther on, some in the group had a brief view of a Swainson's Hawks along
SR-26 east of Royal City.



We had a great stop was along SR-26 at the "County Line Ponds," near the
Grant/Adams County line. These alkaline ponds fill a sump and were full of
birds. Showy shorebirds were the star attraction here including lots of
Black-necked Stilts, American Avocets, Dunlins, and Least Sandpipers in the
shallows. Waterfowl were conspicuous with Am. Green-winged Teal, Cinnamon
Teal, Redhead, Northern Pintail and Northern Shoveler. A half-dozen American
Pipits bobbed about the pond edge.



A couple miles to the west we were treated to 30 or so Sandhill Cranes
flying and bugling about corn stubble field. A late Rough-legged Hawk soared
over, a very nice last "trip species" to a challenging, but wonderful day in
the Columbia Basin shrub-steppe.



Species list. Upper case denotes species characteristic of shrub-steppe or
Columbia Basin, or, simply, "cool species" on our trip.





Canada Goose

Mallard

Cinnamon Teal

Northern Shoveler

Northern Pintail

Am. Green-winged Teal

Redhead

Ring-necked Duck

Greater Scaup

Bufflehead

Common Goldeneye

CHUKAR

Ring-necked Pheasant

California Quail

Common Loon

Horned Grebe

Western Grebe

AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN

Double-crested Cormorant

Osprey

Bald Eagle

Northern Harrier

SWAINSON'S HAWK

Red-tailed Hawk

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK

GOLDEN EAGLE

American Kestrel

PRAIRIE FALCON

SANDHILL CRANE

Killdeer

BLACK-NECKED STILT

AMERICAN AVOCET

Greater Yellowlegs

Least Sandpiper

Dunlin

Ring-billed Gull

CASPIAN TERN

Rock Pigeon

EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE

Mourning Dove

GREAT HORNED OWL

WHITE-THROATED SWIFT

Northern Flicker

SAY'S PHOEBE

Western Kingbird

LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE

BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE

American Crow

Common Raven

Violet-green Swallow

N. Rough-winged Swallow

Cliff Swallow

Barn Swallow

ROCK WREN

GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD

Townsend's Solitaire

American Robin

Sage Thrasher

European Starling

AMERICAN PIPIT

Yellow-rumped Warbler

BREWER'S SPARROW

VESPER SPARROW

SAGE SPARROW

Savannah Sparrow

Song Sparrow

WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW

Red-winged Blackbird

WESTERN MEADOWLARK

YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD

Brewer's Blackbird

House Finch

American Goldfinch

House Sparrow







Andy and Ellen Stepniewski

Wapato WA

steppie at nwinfo.net