Rivers and Mountains of Oregon and Washington Jun 06—12, 2010
Posted by Bob Sundstrom
Bob Sundstrom
Bob Sundstrom has led VENT tours since 1989 to destinations including Hawaii, Mexico, Belize, Trinidad and Tobago, Iceland, Papua New Guinea, the Southwest Pacific islands,...Related Trips
Our inaugural Rivers and Mountains of Oregon and Washington tour started in Portland, Oregon, and then headed east along the Columbia River Gorge, whose towering basalt cliffs and tree-clad lower reaches surely put it among the most scenic places in the United States. On the first day we birded part way up the Columbia Gorge, on the Washington side of the river. Our first birding stop, at a refuge with a mix of wetland and forest habitats, produced our first views of a wide variety of birds, including a MacGillivray's Warbler that posed for long scope views and a splendidly colorful Red-breasted Sapsucker. A second stop along river habitats that morning turned up Bullock's Orioles and other riparian species. We picnicked at Beacon Rock State Park, with the named feature of the park in full view—an 848-foot-tall volcanic feature with sheer stone walls. Peregrine Falcons nesting on the Rock made sorties back and forth across the river, nesting Ospreys overlooked our picnic table, and Winter Wrens sang their complex arias.
Farther east along the Gorge—and after a superb view of American Dippers at a rushing streamside—we turned inland to Glenwood, Washington, for the first of two nights in the South Cascades at Mt. Adams Lodge. This comfortable lodge, which sits at the foot of 12,281-foot Mt. Adams, has a large area of forested grounds to explore and offers fine food. The lodge's bird feeders were busy with Evening and Black-headed grosbeaks, Red Crossbills, Cassin's and Purple finches, and Calliope and Black-chinned hummingbirds—all at close photographic distance. We arrived at the lodge amid stunning views of Mt. Adams, a loner peak among the Cascades that stands well above everything else, and glistens with snow and glaciers over most of its scenic grandeur.
A walk on the lodge grounds before breakfast the following morning gave us our first dazzling Lazuli Bunting of the tour, plus Nashville Warbler, Olive-sided Flycatcher, and others. After a wonderful breakfast of huckleberry pancakes at the lodge, we headed for one of the many tracts of Ponderosa pine nearby. It wasn't long before we were scoping a White-headed Woodpecker, one of the most anticipated birds of the tour, alongside peeping Pygmy Nuthatches. The same day, we explored downslope along the Klickitat River into the oak forest for fine views of gorgeous Lewis's Woodpeckers, Black-throated Gray Warbler, pin-wheeling Vaux's Swifts, and more brilliant turquoise Lazuli Buntings. A drive upslope that afternoon took us into the very tall fir forest on the slopes of Mt. Adams to the snow line, where Hermit Warblers flashed yellow and silver, and Varied Thrushes tried to out-sing Hermit Thrushes as Gray Jays glided from tree to tree.
It was hard to leave Mt. Adams Lodge after such great birding, dining, scenery, and hospitality, but there was much more yet to be seen. Our next primary destination was Oregon's Blue Mountains, one of several local ranges in the northeast quadrant of the state. After another scenic drive down the Klickitat River canyon from Glenwood—and a stop for Acorn Woodpeckers—we once again struck the Columbia Gorge. Driving east on the Oregon side of the mighty Columbia, and now through a drier landscape but still with amazing rock features, we watched bighorn sheep on the rocky slopes on one side of the road, and soaring kettles of White Pelicans and flights of California Gulls on the other.
By mid-afternoon we had reached our goal of the forested Blue Mountains, just north of the town of La Grande, and soon were driving among stands of tall pines and larches, set apart by grassy meadows. We were in prime Great Gray Owl habitat. As we neared an owl nesting area, a shout came out from the passenger side of my van, "Whoa, there's a huge bird right next to us!" There, on a low branch less than 50 feet from the van, perched an adult Great Gray Owl! Other eyes soon located another bird just ahead of us—a newly-fledged owlet, just off the nest and still downy around the face, watching us carefully. We backed up a respectful distance and spent the next half-hour viewing the two owls at length, while digiscoping and photographing fine shots. It was a truly splendid encounter with what had been for many the most anticipated bird of the trip.
With two nights in La Grande, we birded more thoroughly in the Blue Mountains forest zones, finding Williamson's Sapsucker (one of 10 species of woodpeckers seen on the tour!), Townsend's Solitaire, and Townsend's Warbler, among others. Just south of La Grande lie extensive freshwater marshes where we found nesting Cinnamon Teal and other ducks, as well as Black-necked Stilts on nests, a very public Virginia Rail, and a pair of Sandhill Cranes with two rufescent large chicks.
We left La Grande’s birding riches behind on Day 6 of the tour and drove northwest through the stunningly beautiful high elevation grasslands of Oregon's north central region. The drive was intended mostly as a scenic route, but one after another bird surprise marked our way: Grasshopper Sparrows and Horned Larks perched at the roadside, a pair of Gray Partridge right next to the road, and then a family of Chukars. Normally pretty skittish, one of the adult Chukars stood calling at the roadside for minutes—just barely in front of the bumper—as the young regrouped in the tall grass just off the roadway. At one scenic photo spot, two Golden Eagles soared overhead. By midday we had once again reached the Columbia Gorge, and continued west to Portland, past more bighorn sheep.
The scenic beauty, wonderful food, and remarkable wildlife diversity of this new tour made for a very memorable week, at an ideal season to travel in the Pacific Northwest.