WOS conference - the trip home
Jun. 2nd, 2026 07:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tiggymalvern
I made a few stops along the drive home from the conference and found a couple of surprises along the way.
My first stop was at the overlook above Lewiston, and the confluence where the Clearwater River joins the Snake River. Much better light at 8.30am then in the second half of the afternoon when I arrived.
I stopped at a couple of parks near Pullman and got some sun and a few birds, but nothing particularly interesting. The park on the hill above Pullman turned out to have a view looking over the water treatment plant...
My final stop was at Recreation Road in Vantage, on the Columbia River. I got a surprise there - I haven't been there for quite a few years, and what used to be just a road dead ending into the river surrounded by riparian and scrub now has a car park and a dozen campsites and two bathrooms. Somewhere there told me that it burned in a fire, so they didn't just rip up all that riparian and scrub, I suppose.
Columbia River gorge.
The change to the habitat didn't seem to worry the wildlife too much, though. A common side-blotched lizard was sunning itself on the new paved path.
A Columbian ground squirrel watched me from among the boulders.
And the biggest surprise - when I went back to the car, three bighorn sheep had decided to hang out in the newly official boat launch area. Including a baby one. I've never seen a bighorn sheep lamb before, so cute!
The adults were moulting rather scruffily.
Sproingle!
I almost didn't stop at Vantage because the mid-afternoon heat is pretty birdless, but I decided to because the scenery is pretty anyway and a brief leg stretch would be a good idea. I was so glad I did! I was right about the birds, but the rest of the wildlife was out there.
My first stop was at the overlook above Lewiston, and the confluence where the Clearwater River joins the Snake River. Much better light at 8.30am then in the second half of the afternoon when I arrived.
I stopped at a couple of parks near Pullman and got some sun and a few birds, but nothing particularly interesting. The park on the hill above Pullman turned out to have a view looking over the water treatment plant...
My final stop was at Recreation Road in Vantage, on the Columbia River. I got a surprise there - I haven't been there for quite a few years, and what used to be just a road dead ending into the river surrounded by riparian and scrub now has a car park and a dozen campsites and two bathrooms. Somewhere there told me that it burned in a fire, so they didn't just rip up all that riparian and scrub, I suppose.
Columbia River gorge.
The change to the habitat didn't seem to worry the wildlife too much, though. A common side-blotched lizard was sunning itself on the new paved path.
A Columbian ground squirrel watched me from among the boulders.
And the biggest surprise - when I went back to the car, three bighorn sheep had decided to hang out in the newly official boat launch area. Including a baby one. I've never seen a bighorn sheep lamb before, so cute!
The adults were moulting rather scruffily.
Sproingle!
I almost didn't stop at Vantage because the mid-afternoon heat is pretty birdless, but I decided to because the scenery is pretty anyway and a brief leg stretch would be a good idea. I was so glad I did! I was right about the birds, but the rest of the wildlife was out there.
no subject
Date: 2026-06-02 08:51 pm (UTC)You really got some great shots at the wildlife. For some reason I was surprised at how well-muscled the lamb was. I mean, I know it has to be in order to survive in the terrain they live on but still... and it really is cute.
no subject
Date: 2026-06-02 11:16 pm (UTC)Yeah, those things are born leaping vertically up cliffs, they have to be athletic from the start...
no subject
Date: 2026-06-03 06:43 am (UTC)Bighorn lambs! Awwwww :) That stop was definitely worth it ❤️
no subject
Date: 2026-06-03 02:31 pm (UTC)