Quest for desert violet

Last weekend Cyndi, Emily and I went on a quest seeking the spring wildflower Beckwith's Violet (Viola beckwithii). Emily located the first one, despite my assertion that I would be the first.

I also spotted Emily training for the Redneck Olympics on the barbed wire balance beam.

A hike with Jennifer

My sister took very good care of me on my visit to her home in Medford, Oregon. She set me up with a birding outing on Saturday morning, took me to a couple of plays, drove me to Mt. Ashland for a hike on the Pacific Crest Trail, and paddled a canoe with me in the Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge.

I'll just show a few pictures from the hike on the PCT. That's Jennifer with her dog Faye.


The PCT is a National Scenic Trail, and the view of Mt. Shasta was impressive, though there was a layer of clouds around the volcano's peak.


This is Faye, and as you can see, there is still snow up in the mountains. Faye also found a leg of a deer. Good job, Faye. Now, put it down.

I liked to see the wildflowers, like this Trillium.

This is the Yellow-rumped Warbler, and because of the yellow throat as well, it is the Audubon's subspecies.


And a Lazuli Bunting.

This field of leaves was sprouting in a wet meadow. False Hellebore (Veratrum viride).

A gorgeous yellow lily. In fact, flowers used to be my passion, now it is birds. So, I can understand when someone just accepts birds as a beautiful part of the natural world, and don't feel the need to stop in their tracks and identify every one. Nature can be appreciated on many levels, and there's nothing wrong with just experiencing it.

After I wrote this I got curious and had to look it up ... perhaps it is Glacier Lily (Erythronium grandiflorum). I found this description on Wikipedia: "Erythronium grandiflorum is a species of flowering plant in the lily family which is known by several common names, including yellow avalanche lily, glacier lily, and dogtooth fawn lily."

One knows one is at elevation when the heather (genus Erica, family Ericaceae) can be seen. OK, this one I could never forget the Latin name. I think both Heather and Erica are beautiful names, and they are both the name of this alpine plant.

Getting ready for the Avondale Basin hike

In a few weeks I will be leading a birding outing to Avondale Basin, near Silver City in the Owyhee Mountains. Today I went out to check out the area and plan the outing in more detail.

At my first stop, a rest area by the Snake River, the Cliff Swallows were busy gathering mud to make their nests.

At the Silver City road, this sign advised me that it might be a while before the snow was clear on this route.

It was a nice paved road, though ... not the dirt road I remembered from years ago.

I stopped by a small creek, because I hoped I might hear or see a Black-throated Sparrow. No luck. Maybe they don't live here, or perhaps it is too early in the season, or too late in the day. For a moment I thought I saw a Black Phoebe, but this is not within their usual range so it was not likely and the dark flycatcher did not hold still for a good look or a photograph. Just a little distance down the trail I found a very happy Rock Wren couple, singing and gathering nesting materials. One of them paused to pose for a picture.

While driving up to the mountain terrain along the steep, winding road (which did turn to dirt after a few miles) I found some Lark Sparrows. They have a bold facial pattern.

There were colorful flowers beside the road. These paintbrush caught my eye.

After quite a bit of elevation gain, the vegetation changed to sweet-smelling fir and I heard the call of the Mountain Chickadee and Red-breasted Nuthatch. The Chickadee came out on a branch to greet me.

Then a "Road Closed" sign was paired with this warning, so I got out and walked. Not far along, I came upon this 4-wheel drive pickup that had reached its limit. Quite a few cars were parked in this area, and many people were enjoying a Sunday hike in the snow on this warm spring day.

The eroded rock formations were fascinating.

I thought I heard a Chipping Sparrow, and even thought I saw the brownish cap ... but wait, it is a Green-Tailed Towhee!

There were more wildflowers and insects and butterflies.

And, a Chipping Sparrow. I thought I heard one. Perhaps there were some of each calling from the brush.