tiggymalvern (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
tiggymalvern) wrote2025-06-12 11:56 pm
tiggymalvern) wrote2025-06-12 11:56 pm
WOS conference - Yakima
Last weekend was the Washington Ornithological Society annual conference, based out of Yakima in south central Washington. So off I went for four days of sun, scenery and birds :-)
The official conference hotels were around the convention centre, with a lot of concrete and asphalt. So I opted out of those and stayed at the Baymont Riverfront, where I had a balcony with a view. Within ten minutes of checking in, I was sitting out on the grass listening to the kingfishers and the killdeer.
That first evening, I went on an owling trip. It was a gorgeous evening - no wind, with clear skies and sun followed by a half moon. We had a lovely western screech owl that came to look at us, and the nighthawks and poorwills were calling constantly. I'd been hoping for a flammulated owl, but sadly they didn't cooperate. Still a worthwhile trip, though.
My first full day’s choice of outing was Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge, about 30 minutes south of Yakima. It’s a wetland reserve, which normally has only very limited public access, but the conference trip was handed the keys to the gate and told to go where we pleased, so we really got to see the place. There was nobody else there at all – not even any staff in the various refuge buildings, which may be related to the current government’s budget cuts and lay-offs…
As a wetland, there were large numbers of mosquitoes feeding the swallows, but once we got the bug spray applied, it was a lovely experience.
We spent a lot of time looking at birds through reeds or flying over the reedbeds, so I wasn’t able to get many good bird shots that day. But there were fledgling great horned owls in the trees by the ranger buildings near the entrance.
On the second day, I went on a trip to Horse Heaven Hills in the southern part of Yakima county and into Klickitat. The area has a lot of agricultural land, which makes for some incredibly scenic views, although not the most bird-friendly habitat.
We spent the morning birding the remnant areas of sagebrush and grassland between the farmed fields.
MaInly we were looking at small brown sparrows :-) Some of the scenery out there was even more spectacular though.
The plant people in our group told me this was some kind of morning glory.
Later in the day, we moved further into Klickitat, birding the canyons and creeks with more in the way of bushes. This great horned owl had owlets still in the nest (my photos of the owlets didn’t turn out well because of the contrast between bright sun and nest hole).
Ash-throated flycatcher, at the very tip of its range in south-central Washington.
The weather was getting hotter day by day, so I was happy that I’d chosen a mountain trip for day three – heading west from Yakima, following Ahtanum Creek up into the Ahtanum state forest in the Cascades.
The North Fork road climbing, with wildflowers in full bloom in early June.
I don’t remember what these red things are (one of the plant ladies did tell me), but the hummingbirds loved them.
Small pond along the Middle Fork which was an early afternoon stop.
The lupines were filling the lower elevation meadows.
I don’t know which species of evergreen tree this is, but the baby cones were bright purple and incredibly pretty.
We followed the Middle Fork Road up to the Eagle’s Nest Vista, at a little over 6000 feet (1800m) and just before the road disappeared into snow.
There were mountain goats visible on one of the nearby slopes.
I didn’t realise that butterflies came so small! This little guy was about 1cm in wingspan.
That day officially ended the conference, so the final day was a case of me choosing what to do on the way home. A local lady had been telling me about Selah Cliffs just outside Yakima on the Ahtanum trip, so I decided to check it out.
Google maps directions came to a dead stop in Yakima canyon, which I’ve driven down a fair few times and never seen any indication of Selah Cliffs, so I investigated the internet a bit more. Washington Trails Association gave me the reason – the turn-off is an unmarked gravel road that you locate by mile marker. If you didn’t already know there was a Natural Preserve Area there, you’d have no way of finding out…
The research proved interesting anyway, because I learned the preserve was established to protect the largest known population of basalt daisies, a flower which only exists along a ten mile stretch of Yakima canyon. The flowers grow out of the cracks between the basalt columns of the cliffs.
I was able to identify basalt daisies with my binoculars. No photos though, since they were rather high up!
At the end of Selah Cliffs, the interstate crosses the canyon on a bridge.
I didn’t see the golden eagles or prairie falcons that the local lady had told me were sometimes there, but I had a lovely walk accompanied by swallows, white-throated swifts, rock wrens and canyon wrens.
I did a pretty good job of picking varied habitats for my long weekend, and the weather was pretty much perfect. It did get a little hot in Horse Heaven Hills, reaching 96F/36C, but I love the sun and we went prepared!
The official conference hotels were around the convention centre, with a lot of concrete and asphalt. So I opted out of those and stayed at the Baymont Riverfront, where I had a balcony with a view. Within ten minutes of checking in, I was sitting out on the grass listening to the kingfishers and the killdeer.
That first evening, I went on an owling trip. It was a gorgeous evening - no wind, with clear skies and sun followed by a half moon. We had a lovely western screech owl that came to look at us, and the nighthawks and poorwills were calling constantly. I'd been hoping for a flammulated owl, but sadly they didn't cooperate. Still a worthwhile trip, though.
My first full day’s choice of outing was Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge, about 30 minutes south of Yakima. It’s a wetland reserve, which normally has only very limited public access, but the conference trip was handed the keys to the gate and told to go where we pleased, so we really got to see the place. There was nobody else there at all – not even any staff in the various refuge buildings, which may be related to the current government’s budget cuts and lay-offs…
As a wetland, there were large numbers of mosquitoes feeding the swallows, but once we got the bug spray applied, it was a lovely experience.
We spent a lot of time looking at birds through reeds or flying over the reedbeds, so I wasn’t able to get many good bird shots that day. But there were fledgling great horned owls in the trees by the ranger buildings near the entrance.
On the second day, I went on a trip to Horse Heaven Hills in the southern part of Yakima county and into Klickitat. The area has a lot of agricultural land, which makes for some incredibly scenic views, although not the most bird-friendly habitat.
We spent the morning birding the remnant areas of sagebrush and grassland between the farmed fields.
MaInly we were looking at small brown sparrows :-) Some of the scenery out there was even more spectacular though.
The plant people in our group told me this was some kind of morning glory.
Later in the day, we moved further into Klickitat, birding the canyons and creeks with more in the way of bushes. This great horned owl had owlets still in the nest (my photos of the owlets didn’t turn out well because of the contrast between bright sun and nest hole).
Ash-throated flycatcher, at the very tip of its range in south-central Washington.
The weather was getting hotter day by day, so I was happy that I’d chosen a mountain trip for day three – heading west from Yakima, following Ahtanum Creek up into the Ahtanum state forest in the Cascades.
The North Fork road climbing, with wildflowers in full bloom in early June.
I don’t remember what these red things are (one of the plant ladies did tell me), but the hummingbirds loved them.
Small pond along the Middle Fork which was an early afternoon stop.
The lupines were filling the lower elevation meadows.
I don’t know which species of evergreen tree this is, but the baby cones were bright purple and incredibly pretty.
We followed the Middle Fork Road up to the Eagle’s Nest Vista, at a little over 6000 feet (1800m) and just before the road disappeared into snow.
There were mountain goats visible on one of the nearby slopes.
I didn’t realise that butterflies came so small! This little guy was about 1cm in wingspan.
That day officially ended the conference, so the final day was a case of me choosing what to do on the way home. A local lady had been telling me about Selah Cliffs just outside Yakima on the Ahtanum trip, so I decided to check it out.
Google maps directions came to a dead stop in Yakima canyon, which I’ve driven down a fair few times and never seen any indication of Selah Cliffs, so I investigated the internet a bit more. Washington Trails Association gave me the reason – the turn-off is an unmarked gravel road that you locate by mile marker. If you didn’t already know there was a Natural Preserve Area there, you’d have no way of finding out…
The research proved interesting anyway, because I learned the preserve was established to protect the largest known population of basalt daisies, a flower which only exists along a ten mile stretch of Yakima canyon. The flowers grow out of the cracks between the basalt columns of the cliffs.
I was able to identify basalt daisies with my binoculars. No photos though, since they were rather high up!
At the end of Selah Cliffs, the interstate crosses the canyon on a bridge.
I didn’t see the golden eagles or prairie falcons that the local lady had told me were sometimes there, but I had a lovely walk accompanied by swallows, white-throated swifts, rock wrens and canyon wrens.
I did a pretty good job of picking varied habitats for my long weekend, and the weather was pretty much perfect. It did get a little hot in Horse Heaven Hills, reaching 96F/36C, but I love the sun and we went prepared!
no subject
I love the unknown conifer with purple decorations.
I bet you wished you hadn't come back, considering all the news just today :( But what a way to get away from it all for a bit ❤️
no subject
I do love mountain goats. I see them sometimes at Mount Rainier National Park, but this is the only time I've seen them elsewhere.