Finley NWR: Bear tracks, Willow Flycatcher and more

[Don Boucher]

Hello, 

I led a small group of naturalists on a morning hike at W.L. Finley NWR. It was a perfect summer morning; calm, sunny and not too warm. We started from the parking lot south of Pigeon Butte and took the Cattail Pond to Beaver Pond loop. It has a wide variety of habitats; meadows, sunny slopes, oaks, maples, wetlands, ponds and conifer forests.

No extraordinary birds but a good variety. We did get to hear a Willow Flycatcher making his sneazy song at the Beaver Pond. We got looks at Band-tailed Pigeons, Western Tanagers and Common Yellowthroats. We watched a Western Flycatcher sing. We watched a Bald Eagle fly by and an Osprey hunt at the Cattail Pond. Cedar Waxwings were catching flying insects over the ponds.

All birds encountered

Mallard, California Quail, Wild Turkey Band-tailed Pigeon, Mourning Dove, American Coot, Pied-billed Grebe, Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vulture, Acorn Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Western Wood-Pewee, Willow Flycatcher, Western Flycatcher, Steller's Jay, California Scrub-Jay, Common Raven, Black-capped Chickadee, Tree Swallow, Violet-green Swallow, Barn Swallow, Wrentit, European Starling, Marsh Wren, Bewick's Wren, House Wren, Swainson's Thrush, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, Purple Finch, American Goldfinch, Song Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Warbling Vireo, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Western Tanager, Lazuli Bunting, Black-headed Grosbeak.

On the Maple Knoll trail we found some Black Bear tracks in the mud. Not a very big bear but nobody else would leave tracks of this size with five broad toes and claw marks. On the shady trail on the west side of Pigeon Butte, a very approachable Brush Rabbit let us take photos. When the rabbit was done with us, it happily hopped away. The reason this isn't just a young cottontail (adult cottontails are bigger) is because of its overall uniform color and the lack of "cotton" on the top of its small tail. 

There were ground squirrels at the quarry. We used to call them California Ground Squirrels (Otospermophilus beecheyi) but taxonomists recently split the population into 2 species. The northern population (which includes Oregon) is now Otospermophilus douglasii. The only issue I have with this is that the common name is now Douglas' Ground Squirrel. Now I have to explain to people learning their local squirrels that we have 2 Douglas' squirrels, the tree squirrel; Douglas' Squirrel and the ground variety, Douglas' Ground Squirrel. 

I got to see my first-of-year Farewell-To-Spring (Clarkia amoena) and Harvest Brodiaea (Brodiaea elegans). There were checkermallows too. Some of the native Trailing Blackberries (Rubus ursinus) had ripe berries.

The ponds were busy with dragonflies. I included a photo of a Twelve-spotted Skimmer. We saw many Western Tiger Swallowtails, Lorquin's Admirals and we saw at least one California Sister.

Many folks signed up for this field trip but only four showed up. For us who attended, it was one of the best summer days we had at Finley.

Don Boucher

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[Stephanie Hazen]

cool find on the bear footprint!! when I looked up "bear footprint". it appears to be a front paw print.  Rear paw prints are much longer. 

Stephanie Hazen

Salem

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