We had 8 people including hike leader Ralph, because he prefers small groups, so everyone can hear him. Mary in the group (who waited with me at Gateway) is also great with plants. Sue has impressive eyes. She spotted birds before anyone even took notices. Thanks to her, I saw Bullock's Oriole (both male and female. Saw a female tying up her nest in the presence of a female cowbird!) and Lazuli Bunting (multiple times, only once his shining blue back plummage (much darker than on Wikipedia).
We started under blue sky with clouds, walked in along waterfront, and came out via middle trail. View of the lake is better on the middle trail, but more variety (all these in the photo) is along the water. Lupine already wilting. Bicolored cluster lily are all in seed. Not as many balsamroot as I remembered. These are some of the new ones I learned today: Pineapple Weed (smells sweet, apple in lemon), Yellow Salsify (big and showy, non-native), Tree of Heaven (pretty leaves, non-native), Whitetop (non-native, invasive?), Poison Hemlock (yes, poisonous. Very happy here), pecan tree, Russian olive (obviously non-native), Western Sumac, Green and Gray Rabbitbrush (just bush, no flower yet), lots broadleaf cattail by the water, Tansy Mustard, Henbit (non-native), maybe Wild Chevil (non-native), Giant Wildrye, invasive Bulbous Bluegrass (same in Ashland's Cascade Foothills). Himalayan blackberry is taking over all water gully. Poison Oak is expanding. It rained for awhile (hailed in Portland at the time), and stopped during our lunch at a place which one guy who walked by us called it an ideal spot for fly-fishing.Before the hike, we were given a list of species found 2 weeks ago in the same area. 2 days after the hike, I received an email with a list of wildife seen/heard
1. Bullock's Oriole (Icterus bullockii) - saw both male and female; watched female work on nest in the presence of a female Cowbird. 2. Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) 3. Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 4. Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina) 5. Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) 6. American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 7. Common Raven (Corvus corax) 8. Western Scrub Jayt (Aphelocoma californica) 9. Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 10. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 11. Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 12. Yellow-bellied Chat (Icteria virens) - heard only 13. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 14. Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena) 15. Vaux's Swift (Chaetura vauxi) - phonetically "key-too-ra vawx-eye" 16. One of the "Ladies" - probably Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), but possibly W. Coast Lady (V. annabella) 17. Whitish butterfly possibly Sara Orangetip/Sara's Orangetip (Anthocharis sara) 18. Blue butterfly and brownish female - probably Lupine Blue (Plebejus lupinus) 19. Large black ground beetle (Family: Carabidae) or Darkling Beetle (Family: Tenebrionidae) 20. Stonefly (Order: Plecoptera); large size indicates Family: Pteronarcyidae, possibly Pteronarcys sp. 21. Damselflies along middle trail (Order: Odonata; Suborder: Zygoptera)
