Paul, and OBOL
Here is my trip report from my successful trip in Aug. 2018 to see Cassia
Crossbills.
Hope this helps -
Wayne Hoffman
From: "whoffman" <whoffman@xxxxxxxx>
To: "obol" <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2018 2:10:10 PM
Subject: Idaho/SE oregon trip.
Hi -
I just got back from 6 days in Idaho and SE Oregon. This was basically a
pilgrimage to see Cassia Crossbills, + add-ons.
Itinerary:
Friday, Aug. 24. After some business in Oregon City, E on I 84 to La Grande. I
had heard that the Boardman area Cottonwood farm was liquidated so was
surprised to see a few stands still there. Does anyone know if anybody got
access this year to look for Least Flycatchers?
Saturday: I 84 to Twin Falls, then up Rock Creek road. The crossbill area was
overrun by a major youth biking event, with hundreds of people. Very smoky in
the lowlands, better air up in the NF.
Sunday: To Burley, then up to Bostetter Guard Station, where I found the
crossbills! Other birds there included Hairy Woodpecker, Red-naped Sapsucker,
Gray-headed Junco, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Pine Siskins, Bewick's Wren. No
corvids but distant ravens, and no flycatchers. The drive in was 20 miles
across open hills with sagebrush and bunchgrasses. Flocks of sparrows were
dominated by Vespers, but also included Brewer's. Many Horned Larks. Big flock
of gulls by the Snake River included 60% Ring-billed, 10% California, 25%
Franklin.s, 5% Bonaparte's.
Monday to Snake River Birds of Prey area south of Boise, where good photos of
Rock Wrens, White-throated Swifts and a Prairie Falcon, then to Succor Creek
and Leslie Gulch, ending in Jordan Valley,which is edging closer to ghost town
status. Rock and Canyon Wrens in Leslie Gulch, also Chuckars and Say's Phoebes,
otherwise pretty quiet.
Tuesday to Malheur NWR, where I only birded Benson Pond, HQ, and a few roadside
stops, then to Summer Lake and Cabin Lake GS. A wet area N of Diamond had 40+
White-fronted Geese. Benson Pond was birdy, with Cranes, Pelicans, Great
Egrets, dowitchers, and yellowlegs in the pond, and yellowthroats, Yellow
Warblers, tanagers, orioles, and House Wrens in the willows. Flycatchers
included W. Kingbird, WW Pewees, Olive-sided, Willow and a "Western" Flycatcher
(silent). HQ was pretty quiet but had 2+ Black-chinned Hummingbirds being
dominated by 2+ Rufous - all females/immatures. Robins, tanagers and an oriole
in the apple tree.
Summer lake had lots of Avocets, some Ibises, Night herons, Yellowlegs. peeps
were mostly Leasts, with a few westerns and Baird's, incl. 1 adult Baird's.
Tuesday evening ad Wednesday at Cabin Lake I photographed 18 species of birds
ad 4 mammals from the blinds. Lots of Pinyon Jays, White-breasted and Pygmy
nuthatches, many Red Crossbills, Hairy and white-headed Woodpeckers, both
bluebirds, my first-ever Steller's Jay there. Mammals were Western Gray
Squirrels, Goldenmantled Groundsquirrels, and both Yellow-pine and Least
Chipmunks. Wednesday heavy smoke moved into central Oregon. At Summer Lake I
could not see details on Winter Rim from the auto tour, and from Suttle Lake on
the way home I could barely see the outline of Mt. Washington.
Overall good raptors, with many Swinson's hawks, 10+ Ferrugineous, several
Prairie Falcons, 10+ Golden Eagles, 1 Cooper's Hawk (at Summer Lake), and
ubiquitous Red-tails and kestrels.
Wayne
