Finley 4/18

[Lisa Millbank]

It was a nice day to head down to Finley on the bikes.  We pedaled along 99W to Bruce Rd.  Despite the traffic noise, we heard our first CHIPPING SPARROW and many HORNED LARKS were singing in the fields.  BARN SWALLOWS have arrived as well.   

Lots and lots of BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS sang in all the wooded areas.  At Pigeon Butte we were really surprised by a calling MOUNTAIN QUAIL.  I expected to hear a Ruffed Grouse because we have heard one "drumming" on Maple Knoll every spring for the past 5 years.  Mr. Mountain Quail was on the NW side of the hill, calling enthusiastically.  He might be lonely, maybe someone else has heard Mountain Quail at Finley, but we never have.  I suppose he came down out of the Coast Range hills along the ridgeline of Maple Knoll.

GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS were at McFadden Marsh, along with many pretty CINNAMON TEALS.  There was a big flock of Cacklers in the fields south of Pigeon Butte and a number of GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were hanging around there.  One SNOW GOOSE stood out in the bright sunshine, but we never did pick out a Red-breasted Goose.  At the same time we were watching the geese, many Horned Larks sang in the field south of Bruce Rd., but we never could spot one.  There are not many around now, but we did see one adult BALD EAGLE.

On the way home there was a EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE near Llewellyn Rd (my first one). 

Many, many PAINTED LADIES were everywhere.  The most unusual butterfly was a beautiful MOURNING CLOAK.  SPRING AZURES feasted on bird poop, one of their favorite delicacies.  I put my finger up to one of the Spring Azures while he fed on the poop, and he climbed on my finger, only too happy to sip salty sweat from my fingertip.  Not a real picky eater, I guess.  A COMMA, probably a Hoary Comma, looked pretty beat up and had a chunk missing from one wing.  Some type of FORKTAIL damselfly landed on Don and we got a brief look at a dragonfly.  The little bugs & spiders were abundant and we were happy to see them again after the winter. 

A number of small COMMON GARTER SNAKES were out sunning themselves today.  WESTERN FENCE LIZARDS were busy in the quarry.  A roadkilled snake was torn in half and reluctantly shared by two TURKEY VULTURES.

We saw TOWNSEND'S CHIPMUNKS quarreling or playing (hard to tell) at Maple Knoll.  One let out quite a growl at the other.  Two BLACKTAIL DEER bolted across a field.  A RABBIT (prob. Eastern Cottontail) had been killed and partially plucked near Pigeon Butte.  BOBCAT scat was common there so it could have been a bunny dinner for the Bobcat.  The ELK looked content while they grazed in a field by the train tracks today.  A clump of elk hair we found means they're about to trade their thick winter coats for sleek summer outfits. 

Quite a few flowers were starting to bloom, including PURPLE PARSLEY (Lomatium dissectum), SMITH'S FAIRY LANTERNS, TOUGH-LEAF IRIS, HENDERSON'S SHOOTING-STAR, WESTERN BLUE VIOLET, and UPLAND (NUTTALL'S) VIOLET. One special flower was BRADSHAW'S LOMATIUM, just beginning to bloom in the "camas lane" near the prairie overlook platform.

Lisa

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