the Nature of Portland

Cascara Berries are for the Birds; Mine are for Cedar Waxwings

2013-08-21T16:38:00.001-07:00

When I planted four Cascara Buckthorn (Rhamnus purshiana) trees in my yard several years ago, my yard didn't have much to offer the wildlife. So I couldn't wait for my new trees to mature enough to produce lots of berries, which would hopefully bring in lots of native birds during the summer months.

Berries of the Cascara Buckthorn (Rhamnus purshiana)

Cascara berries start out green, then change to red, then black as they ripen. They are edible, but I'm told they're bitter. Wikipedia says that the fruit "has a laxative effect. The food industry sometimes uses cascara as a flavoring agent for liquors, soft drinks, ice cream, and baked goods."

My trees have finally grown to a fairly good size over the past year or two, and the wildlife has definitely taken note. Bees and other pollinators seem to love the tiny spring blooms, and flocks of Bushtits come to search for insects among the leaves.

As for the berries, I'm a little sad to say that most of them get eaten by European Starlings. I know, I know... European Starlings have been around a long time now, and some people find them attractive. I think they're just a little too pushy and voracious, hogging all the food which could support more native birds.

Recently though, I have seen Northern Flickers eating the berries. And just the other day, I finally saw the bird that I've been hoping to see for 5 years now... the Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)! Cedar Waxwings have to be one of the most beautiful birds in Oregon, with their silky smooth feathers - which look like they've been carved from wood and sanded to a perfect finish. Their elegant black masks, their yellow-tipped tail feathers, and the little red wax tips on their wing feathers give these birds a lot of flare.

Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) (Drawn by my father, Jerry Nenninger)

Before seeing the Waxwings in my yard, the only other place I've gotten a close look at them was at Elk Rock Island, in Milwaukie. Since seeing them in my yard, I've also seen them on Rocky Butte, and now that I know their calls, I've heard them at Mount Scott Park.

Here's a little photo and video montage I put together. The Cedar Waxwings in this video look a little scruffy because it was raining lightly at the time. It shows both adult and juvenile birds.

When a Cricket is not a Cricket: Cicadas in Oregon

2013-07-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

I love the sound of crickets in the evening. They always remind me of summers where I grew up in North Carolina. It seems like we had more crickets there, and where my grandparents lived in the mid-west, than we do here in western Oregon (or should I say HEAR in western Oregon?). I don't know if that's true, but it seems like that to me.

Late last summer I had a tree cricket in my yard, happily chirping his little tune every night. I was glad to have him move in because I've never heard a cricket right here in my yard, which is in a fairly urban area. I sat on the patio many evenings over several weeks listening to his song, which was eventually joined by another.

So I was excited when I heard chirping again yesterday afternoon, but I thought it was a little early in the day for a tree cricket to be singing. I went in search of the chirping's source, which was pretty high up in a Cascara tree, and found... a cicada?!

Cicada (probably Okanagana rimosa) in a Cascara tree

I've seen cicadas by the thousands when visiting my grandparents in Illinois and Missouri, but they were bigger and greener. And I've never seen or heard one in Oregon.

Cicada (probably Okanagana rimosa) in a Cascara tree

Having spent my fair share of time outdoors in Western and Central Oregon, I probably would have said we don't have cicadas here. That's why I grabbed my camera as fast as I could, and snapped these pictures. They're not great because it was about 10 feet up the tree, and this was the only angle I could get.

After I got the photos I sat down to do a little research, to see if there really were cicadas in Oregon, or if this was just a wayward traveler blown in by some freak wind. I was somewhat surprised to read that there really are cicadas in Oregon.

A local biologist, named Max, wrote on his blog (Apartment Biology) that the cicadas found in Oregon "are smaller, emerge in lower densities, and are not as loud as the ones found in the southern and eastern parts of the country." He reported hearing many cicadas - most likely of the genus Okanagana - at Shute Park in Hillsboro. He also found their exuvia (shed exoskelotons) on the trunks of the conifers in the park.

I looked around for my visitor's exoskeleton, but didn't find anything. I think he must have flown into my yard. And soon enough after I took the photos, he flew away - probably in search of a better cicada social scene.

While researching cicadas in Oregon, I ran across a great site called Cicada Mania. Everything you've ever wanted to know about cicadas, plus lots of photos, videos and even sound clips of different cicada songs. After tweeting a photo of my cicada to their Twitter account (@cicadamania), I learned that we have 32 species of cicadas in Oregon, all belonging to the Okanagana, Platypedia, or Neoplatypedia genus. Judging from the limited view of my cicada, they thought it was probably Okanagana rimosa, sometimes called Say's Cicada.

Here are some interesting cicada facts, from Wikipedia:

Cicadas are insects in the order Hemiptera.
About 2,500 species of cicada have been described, and many remain to be described.
Cicadas are related to leafhoppers and spittlebugs, but NOT locusts.
Cicadas do not bite or sting in a true sense, but may mistake a person's arm or other part of their body for a tree or plant limb and attempt to feed (only if allowed to rest on a person's body for an extended amount of time.)
Many people around the world regularly eat cicadas.
Cicadas have three small eyes, or ocelli, located on the top of the head between the two large eyes.
The male cicada has loud noisemakers called "tymbals", their song is not created by structures rubbing together, as in crickets.
Some cicadas produce sounds up to 120 dB- loud enough to cause permanent hearing loss in humans should the cicada sing just outside the listener's ear.
Cicadas live underground as nymphs for most of their lives, emerging in the final nymphal instar, and molting one last time to become adults.
After mating, the female cuts slits into the bark of a twig, and into these she deposits her eggs. When the eggs hatch, the newly hatched nymphs drop to the ground, where they burrow.
Most cicadas go through a life cycle that lasts from two to five years. Some species have much longer life cycles.

Wikipedia has much more cicada information, including cicada symbolism and culinary use, and even a time-lapse clip of an adult cicada emerging from its molted exoskeleton.

So how about it - has anyone else seen cicadas in Portland or other parts of Oregon?

Smith and Bybee Wetlands: Something to See, Anytime of Year

2013-03-11T17:24:00.000-07:00

Recently we've had some very Spring-like days here in Portland. The days last a little longer, and the sun feels a little warmer. We're already seeing the first blossoms of Spring. Native plants like Red-flowering Currant and Indian Plum don't wait around for the calendar to say that Spring is here. They just bloom whenever it feels right. I know there are many more showery, gray days to come (and rain is a good thing), but I can't help looking forward to the drier, greener days ahead.

Red-flowering Currant

Sometimes our weather memories are rather short-term. Here in western Oregon, we gripe about the rain until it's time to gripe about how hot it is. So to help us not take the current mild temperatures for granted, I thought I'd look back a couple of months and share some photos that I took out at Smith and Bybee Wetlands on a very cold and frosty January morning.

Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area - often referred to as Smith and Bybee Lakes - is the largest protected wetland within an American city. Located in North Portland, west of PIR and Delta Park West, the park is a great place to see water fowl, raptors and other birds, as well as beaver, river otter and one of the few remaining populations of Western Painted Turtles in the lower Willamette Valley (listed as "critical" on Oregon's sensitive species list). Facilities at the park include a paved, accessible trail between the two lakes (complete with viewing platforms), restrooms, a launch for non-motorized boats, and some very nice interpretive signs. Some interesting public art is sprinkled throughout the developed areas.

View Larger Map

It looked like I was the fist to arrive by car on this January day.

Informational signs by the parking area

I walked past frosty Nootka Rose hips...

...frozen cattails...

...and frost-dusted Oregon Grape.

Then I came to the viewing area looking out over the frozen slough.

This is the place where you can spot Western Painted Turtles basking in the sun during the warmer months. Hopefully they're all tucked snugly into the mud at the bottom of the pond where they hibernate - their body temperatures dropping to just above freezing.

Moving on down the trail, I saw a Brown Creeper and a Bushtit, but didn't get a good picture of either one. Then I looked up to see this juvenile Bald Eagle looking down at me.

It either got tired of me staring up at it, or it decided it had better things to do.

Here's the observation platform on Smith Lake.

And the view from the platform,

which included some American Coots (I believe).

The Coots seemed nervous, and I thought it was because of me, but it might have been that juvenile eagle that was flying overhead.

So even in the rain, snow, or heavy frost, you can always see something interesting out at Smith and Bybee Wetland.

Just a few more photos to wrap it up...

Frozen perimeter of Smith lake

Signs of Beaver in the neighborhood

One of the many pieces of public art

This last photo was taken south of Portland, in the area of Donald and Aurora, but it could have been taken at many places in the Portland Metro region. I wanted to share it here because it goes so well with the frosty theme of this post.

Canada Geese flying in front of a frosty old Oak

Brrrr... looks cold, doesn't it?

Remember to get out and enjoy the mild temperatures we've been having lately. Pretty soon it will be too hot. ; )

Flicker in the Cascara Tree

2012-09-02T11:17:00.000-07:00

Now that my native landscaping is starting to fill in and mature a little bit, I've really noticed an increase in the number of bird species that I see in the yard. On one recent morning, I looked out the window and saw a Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) enjoying a snack of suet among the branches of one of my Cascara trees.

So I quietly snuck out the back door and poked my camera lens around the corner of the house to get a better shot.

The Northern Flicker is a beautiful woodpecker. Sort of a brownish-tan color overall, with all kinds of black spots and bars, and a black crescent on the chest. The female lacks the red moustache stripes that you can see on the lower sides of this male's face.

The behavior of the Northern Flicker differs from that of most woodpeckers because they spend a lot of time on the ground, where they eat beetles, ants and other insects. When they are in the trees, they're perched on branches like this one, rather than hanging on the trunk, supported by their tail feathers. Sometimes your only view of a Flicker is when you interrupt its ground-feeding. You'll see a white rump spot and a flash of red as it flies up and away, into the trees. The flash of red is due to the red color of the flight feather shafts. The Flicker pictured above was kind enough to leave me a sample of his red-shafted feathers.

The Northern Flicker is a common, year-round bird across most of the contiguous United States. In the Eastern US, the flight feathers have yellow shafts instead of red. Hybrid forms are common where the ranges of the two forms meet.

Even though this is a commonly-seen bird, it really is beautiful. And I don't think I would have seen one in my yard before I provided a little bit of habitat. OK, I admit... the suet feeder helped. But when my yard was a flat, monoculture lawn, there was nothing of interest to attract this bird. No native planting areas to offer forage, and especially no trees in which to seek refuge (or to hang a suet feeder). Every time I spot a new species in my yard, it's like a little reward for all of my effort. I can't wait to see what the next one will be!

You can learn to identify the Woodpeckers of North America by sight, sound and behavior, with this illustrated book by Frances Backhouse.

Native Bees, Large and Small

2012-08-27T18:16:00.000-07:00

About a year and a half ago, I posted some information about solitary Mason Bees... how they're important native pollinators, and how you can help sustain their numbers by providing a good spot for them to shelter and lay their eggs. This past spring, I decided to give it a go myself.

I purchased a basic house from Ruhl Bee Supply, then I added a larger roof using some metal flashing, to better protect the bees and the paper tubes from spring rains.

I put it on a post against a south-facing wall, with the opening facing east so the housing material would be warmed by the morning sun.

Then I drew a Mason Bee on the side...

...and filled it up!

I used cardboard tubes with paper inserts (also purchased at Ruhl Bee Supply), and I added some spacer blocks and twigs left over from pruning my Red-osier Dogwoods. Apparently it can help the bees identify which tube they're filling with eggs if you break up the space and make it a little random and natural-looking. (Those Red Osier Dogwood twigs turned out to be a lucky choice, but more on that later...)

I decided I didn't want to rely on the curb appeal of my new bee house to attract the bees, so I bought a small box of Mason Bee cocoons from Portland Nursery (supplied by Crown Bees). Here's a picture of my supplies. Each cardboard tube has one closed end and one open end. The paper tubes are open on both ends, and slide into the cardboard tubes to make one ready-for-eggs tube.

When the weather seemed consistently warm enough, and some of the native early blooms were opening in my yard, I took the box of cocoons out of the refrigerator where they had been waiting patiently, poked a hole large enough for the bees to emerge, and placed it in the top of the house.

A few days later, I was lucky enough to catch one of the bees as it left the box and explored the new digs. I think it might be a male because it was kind of just hanging around. The males emerge first (my box of 10 cocoons had 4 male and 6 female cocoons), then wait for the females to emerge so they can do their thing. Then the females can get on with their business of gathering pollen and nectar, placing it in a tube with a single egg, then adding a wall of mud to create a chamber. They'll repeat this process until a tube is full, and move on to the next one for as long as they're able.

I enjoyed watching my Mason Bees fly back and forth, industriously going about their work. Because these solitary bees are so docile, you can stand right in front of the house and they will just fly around you on their way in and out. I think I ended up with three or four females working in the house. All of my cocoons hatched, but I think a couple females flew off or maybe had an unfortunate run in with a hungry bird. You can put large mesh or wire in front of the house to protect the bees from any lurking birds as they come and go.

I provided a tray of mud at the base of the pole, to make sure the bees had a source, but I don't think they ever used it. I guess during spring in Oregon, it might not be too hard to find a good spot to pick up some mud.

I didn't make a note of when I saw my last live bee working, but I believe by mid-July they were all done. One of them died in the end of a tube while trying to pack in that last egg chamber. You can see it's iridescent bee-hind in the photo below (top, left of center).

Some people recommend taking the nest tubes out of the house after the bees stop flying, and placing them in a protected space with natural temperatures. The idea is to protect the eggs and larvae from parasitic wasps (which can drill through the nest tubes to lay eggs of their own) as well as other pests and predators. I decided that my house was well-packed enough that no wasps could get in, so I thought I would just let them stay in the house until the time comes to remove the cocoons and check for mites this fall. (If mites are present you can rinse the cocoons before storing them through the winter.) So that's what I did.

It turned out to be a fortunate choice.

After returning from a camping trip the first week of August, I was walking past my bee house and just happened to notice a very small bee crawling around the twigs. My first thought was "Oh no! It's a tiny parasitic wasp with bad intent! All my larvae are doomed!"

I took a closer look, and realized the tiny bee - probably 1/4 the size of a Mason Bee - was excavating the soft centers of the Red-osier Dogwood twigs, presumably to lay eggs like the Mason Bees had done in the cardboard tubes.

This bee may look large in the photo above, but the end of that twig is only about 1 centimeter in diameter. And a few of the twigs that the bee was able to excavate and crawl into were as small as half a centimeter in diameter! While I was standing there, happily watching this second species of bee making use of the house I provided, a second tiny bee flew in to join the first. They would crawl into one of the twigs, and push out little bits of "sawdust" as they dug deeper into the twig's core. Then I noticed that some of the excavated twigs had already been capped off. But it didn't look like the capping material was mud because it had a definite green tint.

In the photo above, you can see the green-capped twig, as well as a partially excavated twig and several that remain unexcavated.

I had no idea what this new micro-bee was, so what would any curious natureophile do? TO THE INTERNET!!

From the information I was able to find, I believe my new tenants are Leafcutter Bees (Megachile spp.). Leafcutter Bees nest in holes or excavate pithy plants (like pruned rose canes), and they use either chewed-up bits of leaves or neatly trimmed pieces to make their egg cells. Leafcutter Bees (and Mason Bees) don't collect the pollen on their legs like Honey Bees. They collect it on the underside of their abdomen. You can just make that out in the photo below if you click to zoom in.

My Leafcutters were only around for two or three weeks. From late July to mid-August. But I have quite a few capped-off twigs, so hopefully - between my Mason Bee tubes and the Red-osier Dogwood twigs, I'll have a big batch of bouncing baby bees come next year. My plan is to remove and clean the Mason Bee cocoons this fall, remove the twigs, and store them all either in my unheated shed, or maybe in the refrigerator. (I fear my wife may influence that decision in one definite direction.) I'll be sure to keep you posted.

So start paying attention to little holes around your yard - you may be hosting some native pollinators without even knowing it. That's what happened to Mike over at Native Plants & Wildlife Gardens. And even though I purchased my Mason Bees, the Leafcutters found the twigs on their own. So I guess if there's a moral in this blog post, it has to be... "If you build it, they will come."

For more information on Mason Bees, and a link to some great resources, read my earlier post on Mason Bees. Or check out a book called Attracting Native Pollinators: The Xerces Society Guide for information about a multitude of native pollinators.

Afternoon on the Esplanade

2012-06-13T06:50:00.000-07:00

It's Rose Festival time in Portland.

Last week, I decided to go down to the East Bank Esplanade to watch the ships come in for Fleet Week. It was a beautiful afternoon, and in between ships I was able to do a little bird watching.

Just a quick post to share a few pictures...

I saw an Osprey coming upstream toward me - keeping an eye on the water below for any possible meals.

He got closer, then hovered over the river very close to where I was.

I was hoping I'd get to see him dive for a fish, but no luck.

Then I heard a bird singing loudly nearby. I'm just a newbie birder, so I didn't recognize the song, but I spotted the bird in the growth along the river bank.

It's a Song Sparrow. Pretty common bird - I know - but he sure was singing his heart out!

Apparently the Song Sparrow is known for its energetic singing - it's one of the most persistent singers throughout the spring and summer within its wide range.

Since I was down there to watch the ships, I can't resist throwing in just one of those pictures...

And one gratuitous picture of our beautiful city, celebrating Rose Festival...

River Otters, Sea Otters, and Otter 501

2012-06-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

It seems I've been circling some sort of strange otter nexus, lately.

River otters - photo by Dmitry Azovtsev [CC-BY-SA-3.0]

Kind of an odd statement, I know. But not too long ago, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that we have river otters in the Portland area. And no - I'm not talking about the ones at the Oregon Zoo. Since receiving that bit of cheerful news, I've seen photos of Portlandian river otters posted to Facebook, watched my niece and nephews be captivated by the otters (both river and sea) at the Oregon Zoo, and - out of the blue - I had a chance to see an advance screening of Otter 501, a movie about sea otters living in Monterey Bay, in California. With all of these intersecting otter events, I decided it was time to learn a bit more about otters in Oregon.

First off - for anyone who doesn't already know - sea otters and North American river otters are two different critters. They belong to the same Family (Mustelidae) and Subfamily (Lutrinae), but their Genus and, of course, Species are different. The North American river otter's genus and species is Lontra canadensis, while the sea otter's is Enhydra lutris.

According to Wikipedia, the habitats of river otters and sea otters can overlap, because river otters can live along coastal shorelines and estuaries, as well as inland rivers. But sea otters are much bigger animals, tipping the scales at 30-100 pounds, as opposed to the river otters' 11-31 pounds adult weight.

Just like their classifications, the stories of these two animals' history in Oregon have similar beginnings, but not necessarily the same ending.

Let's look at the river otter first.

I guess I always had some vague idea that you wouldn't have to go too far out of the metro area to find a stream that could support a river otter population, but I just never thought that they were alive and well as close to downtown Portland as Oaks Bottom, or Smith and Bybee Lakes. Although the Willamette River has its share of pollution problems, they're apparently not at a level that would prevent river otters (which are very susceptible to environmental pollution) from existing, if not thriving in the area. Kudos to the various municipalities and organizations working to clean up the river since it hit its environmental low point sometime in the early-to-mid 1900s. A study by the USGS, which used otters as a "sentinel species" to judge the health of the Lower Columbia River found PCB levels in otters greatly reduced between 1979 and 1994. That same study, in 1994, "found a relatively dense river otter population throughout the study area, including the heavily polluted portion of the (Columbia) River within the Portland-Vancouver area."

Like most fur-bearing mammals in North America, the river otter populations greatly declined as a result of the fur trade. Habitat loss and pollution has reduced their numbers even further. But as long as we continue to clean up our rivers, and protect vital natural areas along the Willamette and Columbia Rivers in the metro area, river otters should have a bright future here.

No so for sea otters in Oregon. The future remains to be seen (funny thing about the future), but there are currently no Oregon sea otter populations outside the Oregon Zoo and the Oregon Coast Aquarium. This is a direct result of the fur trade. The thick fur (the thickest of any mammal) that keeps sea otters insulated in the frigid Pacific Ocean, became a major target for the fur trade - expanding from Russia in the early 18th century, through the Aleutian Islands, and south along the west coast of North America in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. By 1911, perhaps only 1,000–2,000 individuals remained in the wild. Fearing extinction (finally), the United States, along with Russia, Japan, and Great Britain (for Canada) signed the Treaty for the Preservation and Protection of Fur Seals, which included a moratorium on the sea otter harvest.

Sea otter - photo provided by Otter 501 and Sea Studios Foundation

Today the sea otters have rebounded from the brink of extinction, to cover about two-thirds of their historic distribution. However; the sea otter is still listed as an endangered species, and they have not been able to reclaim their place along Oregon's coast.

Sea otters were thought to be extinct in California until a population of about 50 was discovered near Big Sur in 1938. All sea otters in California today are descendants of those 50 individuals.

In Washington, 59 sea otters were relocated from Alaska in 1969 and 1970. Surveys in the early 2000s recorded between 504 and 743 individuals.

There have been attempts to re-establish populations in Oregon, as well, but the efforts have not been successful. The Elakha Alliance is working to understand why these attempts have failed, and how they might succeed in the future. Established in 2000, the Elakha Alliance (elakha is the Chinook word for sea otter) is a group of tribes, universities, and other organizations working toward the goal of restoring sea otters to Oregon's coast. The problem is complex, partly because the sea otter is such an important keystone species - a species that has a large effect on the structure and health of its ecological community.

Sea otters depend on healthy kelp forests for their food. These kelp forests provide shelter for fish, sea urchins, and other otter delicacies, and also help keep coastal erosion in check. But when you remove sea otters from the equation, the system begins to break down. With no otter predation, sea urchins (which feed on the kelp) overrun the forests, eventually turning them into "sea-urchin barrens". These barrens can no longer support the rich diversity of species which depended on the kelp forests for survival. So it's kind of a catch 22. For sea otters to survive, you need healthy kelp forests. For kelp forests to flourish, you need sea otters to control the sea urchin population. Hopefully the Elakha Alliance can figure out a way restore the needed balance.

The final element of my otter nexus was the chance to see an advance screening of Otter 501 - a movie about sea otters in Monterey Bay. The movie opens as Katie, a young freshwater biologist from Wisconsin, is settling in to her uncle's vacant apartment on Monterey Bay. She posts a video to Facebook, telling her friends back home about her plans for a six month break in California. Her beach bum intentions go out the window when she finds an abandoned baby sea otter on the beach and reports it to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which sends staff to rescue the otter. Katie ends up volunteering at the aquarium so she can keep tabs on the otter pup - Otter 501 - but she also learns a lot about sea otters in general, how to observe them in the wild, and how to collect behavioral data. Katie is the primary role in the movie. Aquarium staff and other people have very minor speaking roles. Katie narrates the story through her Facebook posts, which become very popular as she relates the tale of Otter 501's rehabilitation. The narration seems a bit stiff or scripted at times, but the movie includes beautiful footage of the California coast and lots of insight into the aquarium's work monitoring and protecting sea otters in Monterey Bay. I would recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about these iconic animals. Warning to parents - this movie will have your kids asking for a cuddly baby sea otter of their very own! Otter 501 opened June 1st at the Regal Fox Tower.

Sea otter pups - photo provided by Otter 501 and Sea Studios Foundation

Other links of interest:
River otters at Oaks Bottom

Photo of a river otter at Smith and Bybee Lakes

Oregon's missing sea otters

2009 Oregon sea otter sighting

Scrub Jays are Moving In

2012-05-23T15:13:00.001-07:00

I posted recently about all the spring action in my yard - including some new neighbors helping themselves to my bark mulch. Now some neighbors are tearing apart the liner of our hanging flower basket.

The liner is made out of coconut fiber, and it apparently makes pretty good nesting material.

A pair of Western Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma californica) have been working on it for a few days now.

According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's website - All About Birds.org - "Scrub-jay nests are made of a basket of twigs lined with rootlets, fine strands of plant fibers, and livestock hair. Nests take about 10 days to build and are about 6 inches (15 centimeters) across when finished. Both members of a pair help with building."

Oh well - I hope they enjoy my fine strands of plant fiber!

Want to provide your neighbors with Coconut fibers?

Battle of the Ospreys at Camassia

2012-05-20T09:18:00.000-07:00

On a recent trip to Camassia Natural Area, I was lucky enough to catch some interesting Osprey behavior on film.

The Ospreys have a nest atop a cell phone tower, just outside the park's boundary. When I first spotted the nest, there were two adults in it. After a few minutes, a third adult Osprey flew in, and they all had a bit of a scuffle.

The third Osprey was not this year's offspring because this was on April 15th - right at the beginning of the nesting season. It could have been a chick from the previous year - I'm told that sometimes they return with the parents, and may help guard the nest. If that was the case here, its help did not seem to be appreciated. Maybe it was an unrelated bird competing for the nest site. Who knows?

Watch this montage of photos and see what you think...

My New Pair of Bloomers

2012-05-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

Two of the newest plants in my native landscaping have flowered for the first time, so I thought I would share a few pictures of this brand new pair of bloomers.

Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium idahoense)

First up:
Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium idahoense)

This plant is not a true grass at all, but a relative of the Iris. The plant is native to the western United States, and the flowers are variable.

Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium idahoense)

The flowers close in the evening, and the stems have little joints which allow the flower to stand upright even when the stem falls over. (Like the stems to the right in the photo below.)

Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium idahoense)

These were planted in February, and I wasn't sure if the tiny, bare root plants would produce blooms this year.

Flower: Blue/purple, with yellow center (variable)
Blooms: March-May
At Maturity: 1 1/2' H x 2' W
Location: Fulls sun to part shade, dry to seasonally wet

I planted some Yellow-eyed Grass at the same time (Sisyrinchium californicum) but it has not bloomed yet. Yellow-eyed Grass looks just like Blue-eyed Grass but the flowers are solid yellow.

My Blue and Yellow-eyed Grasses were purchased at the annual native plant sale held by East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District (EMSWCD). They have some great online Native Plant Resources if you'd like info on selecting and finding native plants for your yard.

Nevada buckwheat (Eriogonium umbellatum) var. nevadense

My second new bloomer was purchased at the Tryon Creek Trillium Festival and plant sale in 2011. So this is it's second spring in the ground, but it didn't bloom last year.

It's called Nevada buckwheat (Eriogonium umbellatum) var. nevadense.

This plant is not native to the Willamette Valley, but it is found in drier, sunnier areas east of the Cascades, and in other western states. I wanted to give it a shot in my yard because it gets a lot of full sun, and I figured the plant would do well with no water in the summer.

Nevada buckwheat (Eriogonium umbellatum) var. nevadense

Looks like it's doing OK!

Flower: Bright Yellow, suffused with red
Blooms: May-July
At Maturity: 1' H x 1 1/2' W
Location: Well drained soil, PS-Sun

Nevada buckwheat - Blooms fully opened

Here's another good resource for NW gardeners interested in using more native plants:

Spring Happenings in the New-and-Improved Yard

2012-05-07T20:03:00.001-07:00

Readers of this blog may know that I installed a landscape using (almost) entirely native plants, in what used to be the very bland yard of our duplex (mostly lawn). Now I have large planted areas with layered vegetation - groundcovers, shrubs, small and medium-sized trees. The full sun yard now even has a couple of areas approaching part shade. I couldn't be happier with the results.

Before and After (2008-2012)

One of the benefits has been a very noticeable increase in the wildlife that frequents the yard. The birds especially love the new trees, and enjoy digging around in the groundcover. I notice more and more wildlife each year.

Just the other day, I was pruning my Red-flowering currants (after the bloom), and there were lots of young ladybugs crawling around.

And a few weeks ago, I noticed a pair of Bushtits hopping around one of my Cascara trees - just as they were starting to leaf out.

They're cute little birds - known for their acrobatic ways.

I think they were looking for insects on the new leaves. And they seemed to appreciate the suet feeder, too.

I see the pair all the time now, flitting between this tree and a larger tree in a neighbors yard. I think they must be nesting nearby, if not in that neighbor's tree. I've been meaning to go look for the nest. I recently saw a Bushtit's sock-like nest when I joined one of the Backyard Bird Shop's nature walks, out at Smith and Bybee Lakes. Here's a picture I took of the nest...

The nest is made from grasses, spider webs, and other soft materials, and I'm told if you happen to come across a nest with chicks in it, you can tell by all the wiggling.

Another recent happening in the yard...

Bark mulch thievery!

I watched this crow stealing my bark over the course of several days. Sometimes his (or her) mate would come to supervise - walking along beside, and seemingly giving each piece the thumbs - I mean wingtips - up or down. (I have my theories about who was who in this pair, but I won't go into that here.) :-O

After settling on a piece, the thief would take it up to the power line and go through a shredding process with beak and foot, before flying off to a large conifer where I assume they're nesting.

It can be fun getting to know your non-human neighbors!

Shameless Self Promotion

2012-05-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

Hey, look at that! My Facebook page is almost up to 100 likes! If you haven't caught up to me there yet, why not help me blow right past 100 and get on my way to 200 likes?

Here's a link: facebook.com/theNatureofPortland

And you can also find me on Twitter: twitter.com/PDX_Nature_Nut

Spring Blooms at Camassia Natural Area: Part II

2012-05-05T14:55:00.002-07:00

Picking up where we left off, let's see the park's namesake - the Camas lilies...

The path through the wet meadows uses boardwalks to get you from rock to rock.

Bumblebee on Camas lily (Camassia quamash)

Camas lily with a Pacific Madrone backdrop

The rocks give the meadow a very Zen look and feel.

I think the yellow flowers above are Swamp Buttercup (Ranunculus orthorhynchus). The pink flowers below are Rosy plectritis (Plectritis congesta). Both colors really set off the Camas.

There are a few white Camas sprinkled around, like the one pictured above.

Camas reflected in a puddle

No shortage of wildlife in the park. Woodpeckers have done a number on the dead tree above, and it looks like something has been munching on the plants below.

Maybe the deer that left these tracks in the mud.

Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)

The Spotted Towhee kept his bright red eye on me.

Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus) on Oregon Grape

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

There is an Osprey nest atop a cell tower at the edge of the park. Great viewing opportunity. I saw a skirmish between three Osprey while I was there, but I'll show those pictures in a later post. For now, just a pic of one Osprey doing a fly-over.

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

One of the highlights of the trail is a great view of Mt. Hood.

OK. I know that was a ton of pictures, but it's such a great place to visit and photograph. I hope you can find your trail to Camassia Natural Area soon!

Spring Blooms at Camassia Natural Area: Part I

2012-05-05T14:54:00.000-07:00

Common Camas lily and Rosy plectritis

One of the many reasons the Portland metro area is such a special place, is its knack for preserving healthy, natural habitat in close proximity to urban (and suburban) areas. Camassia Natural Area in West Linn is a perfect example. Mere steps away from the heavy traffic of Interstate 205 - as it crosses the bluff between West Linn and Oregon City - this beautiful, 27 acre parcel protects habitats ranging from wooded wetland, to open prairie, and the increasingly rare Oregon white oak savanna. A fragile stronghold of rare plants and diverse wildlife species - Camassia is a truly wonderful place to experience the Nature of Portland.

View Larger Map

Camassia Natural Area was the first preserve to be purchased and protected by The Nature Conservancy in Oregon (in 1962). It's named after the common camas lily (Camassia quamash) which blooms heavily here every spring, alongside other wildflowers like Rosy plectritis (or Sea Blush - Plectritis congesta), Trilliums (Trillium chloropetalum, and T. ovatum), Fawn lilies (Erythronium oregonum) and many more. Since acquiring this special place, The Nature Conservancy staff and volunteers have worked to protect the area from the threats of encroaching development, which include invasive species, altered hydrology, and fire suppression. Because the area no longer undergoes the periodic renewal by fire, Douglas-fir trees creep from the edges of the woodlands into the more open oak savanna. In those areas, the Douglas-fir are removed, allowing the Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii) and Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana - sometimes called Garry oak) to continue providing the perfect mix of sun and shade for the meadow wildflowers.

The unique terrain at Camassia - like terrain everywhere - owes its existence to ancient history. Between about 17 and 6 million years ago, a series of lava flows covered northern Oregon, eastern Washington, and western Idaho, creating a deep layer of basalt rock. Fast forward to the end of the last ice age (12,000 - 15,000 years ago) - a time when the continental ice sheet created dams and huge lakes along the Idaho-Montana border. Those dams would periodically give way, causing catastrophic floods that scoured soil and rock from eastern Washington, carved the Columbia Gorge, and deposited soil and glacial erratic boulders in the Willamette Valley. Those same floods stripped the soil from some areas of Camassia, creating the underlying structure for the shallow-soiled, rocky meadows and hollowed-out, wooded wetlands you can see today.

I've been meaning to visit Camassia during the peak bloom of the camas lilies (late April - early May) for a couple of years now, but didn't make my first visit until just this year. I hiked the loop three weekends in a row - starting the weekend of April 14th - to be sure to catch the meadows at their colorful best.

Entrance to the park, at the end of Walnut Street in West Linn

There is a small gravel parking lot at the end of Walnut Street in West Linn. Oh - and as with most nature parks in the Portland area, no dogs are allowed. This is to protect the habitat and the wildlife that uses it.

See my pictures below, and to find out more about the park, you can go to The Intertwine, or The Nature Conservancy's website. (Click here for driving directions.)

The trails in the park are well marked - even when the "trail" is not a boardwalk like the one below. Please stay on the trails to protect the delicate habitat (and avoid the poison oak!).

boardwalk through the woodland

Western sword fern (Polystichum munitum) unfurling

One of the hollowed-out, wooded wetlands is near the center of the park.

Lots of Trillium and Fawn lilies along the trail to the wetland.

Trillium

Fawn lily

I love the mottled pattern on the leaves of the Fawn lily - it reminds me of light reflecting off a water surface.

Trilliums and sword ferns

There are at least seven Trilliums hiding among the sword ferns in the photo above.

Oak galls

Saskatoon serviceberry

Miner's lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata)

Miner's Lettuce is a native, edible plant - whether it's the "true" Miner's Lettuce (above), or Western Spring Beauty (below) which is also called Siberian Miner's Lettuce.

Western Spring Beauty - Siberian Miner's lettuce (Claytonia siberica)

Yellow Violet, or Pioneer Violet (Viola glabella)

Bittercress??

I believe the flowers in the photo above are a type of Bittercress - but if anyone knows for sure, please comment. Unfortunately, I don't think the plant's leaves really show in the photo.

Blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia grandiflora) growing with moss and Licorice fern

A tiny moss forest

Tall Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium)

Indian Hellebore (Veratrum viride)

Licorice Fern (Polypodium glycyrrhiza) on a mossy tree trunk

Gnarly, moss and lichen-covered Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana)

We thought the odd-looking oak limb above looked like Mr. Snuffleupagus.

Wow - that was a lot of pictures, and I haven't even made it to the Camas photos yet. Let's continue the photo tour in Part II...

Finding Portland Beautiful

2012-04-29T08:37:00.001-07:00

I recently ran across this incredible video of Portland - made with time lapse photography - by the very talented folks at Uncage the Soul Video Production. Called Finding Portland, it really highlights some of the true Nature of Portland (natural as well as cultural/man-made). The video is so beautiful - I couldn't resist indulging in a little civic narcissism by sharing it here.

Watch the video below, and find out about the creative methods used in the filming by reading this story over at KATU.com.

My 7 Super Shots

2012-04-26T14:40:00.002-07:00

After being tagged by Michael Barton, over at Exploring Portland's Natural Areas, I am taking part in HostelBookers 7 Super Shots. It's a little game to get photographers everywhere to dust off some of their favorite snapshots and share them with the world. Although the pictures can be of anything, I'm going to stick as close to my blog's Portland nature theme as I can.

I'm supposed to choose 7 photos - one for each of 7 predefined categories, so here goes...

A photo that…takes my breath away

The Columbia River viewed from Larch Mountain. You can see several snow-capped Cascade volcanoes from this viewpoint - truly breathtaking!

A photo that…makes me laugh or smile

Spotted in a tiny nature park in Bend, Oregon.

A photo that…makes me dream

A frosty Cascara leaf in the sun - makes me dream of Fall (and long for Spring).

A photo that…makes me think

Abandoned house - North end of Madras, Oregon (Mt. Hood in the background). Can't help thinking and wondering about the lives that were led here.

A photo that…makes my mouth water

OK - this one is a little off-theme... Standing in line at Pine State Biscuits, on SE Belmont in Portland. Waiting to order the McIsley - Fried chicken on a biscuit, topped with pickles, mustard & honey. Add a side of collard greens, and wash it down with a Cheerwine... pure southern deliciousness!

A photo that…tells a story

Taken at a very remote lake in the Cascade Mountains east of Sweet Home, Oregon. (The story being told here is, "Watch out, Ladybug!!" Alas, the ladybug had no idea that a monster was approaching from below. This rough-skinned newt gulped down the ladybug, only to set her free a few seconds later. Apparently not one of the newt's favorite meals.

A photo that…I am most proud of (aka my worthy of National Geographic shot)

Taken at the same lake as the photo above. Dragonfly peeking over a log.

That's it for my 7 Super Shots, now all that's left is for me to choose five other bloggers, and pass along this photographic game of tag.

My nominations are:

Nature Nut Notes - a nature and craft photo-blog
Northwest Ramblings - places and nature in the Pacific Northwest
Pieloch Oregon
WOODANDFIELD - living with nature in the Blue Ridge
thebendingmoment - a space for thoughts, words and moments that bend us

To these five bloggers, I say, "Tag, you're it!"

Squirrel Tactics 101: Raiding a Bird Feeder

2012-03-17T02:19:00.001-07:00

I just put up a bird feeder the other day, and filled it with some good, low waste feed which includes cracked corn and peanuts. I haven't noticed any small birds at the feeder yet, but the larger fauna have certainly taken note. I enjoyed watching a squirrel discover the feeder, and I had to admire her cautious but effective methods. Other squirrels could take a lesson...

Step 1: Aerial reconnaissance - Always check the location from above if possible.

Step 2: Approach the area with caution

Step 3: Check the perimeter - use any available cover to your advantage

Step 4: Keep one eye on the guy with the camera

Step 5: Approach the goal for closer inspection

Step 6: Inspect goal and evaluate procurement options

Step 7: Inspect the goal support from below - Can it be climbed? (Continue to use cover to your advantage. Native plants work best.)

Step 8: When faced with a hanging goal, check for stability...

Is the goal hung securely? Will it support your weight?

Step 9: With a goal that is within reach, attempt a "stretch and grab" maneuver...

Always try every side and angle.

Then make the grab.

Step 10: Enjoy the spoils.

Supplemental note: Always beware of other raiders.

Like Western Scrub Jays (Aphelocoma californica)...

and American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos).

The squirrel in these photos is - sadly - not an Oregon native species. It is a fox squirrel (Sciurus niger), from the eastern United States. According to the Audubon Society of Portland, we have five native squirrel species in the Portland metro area, but today our two most commonly-seen species are invasive. The fox and the eastern gray.

Maricara Natural Area: Forest and Wooded Wetland in SW Portland

2012-03-06T21:03:00.000-08:00

Hidden away in the Markham neighborhood of Southwest Portland, very near Tryon Creek State Natural Area, is a much smaller woodland called Maricara Natural Area. Though it may be small (17 acres compared to Tryon Creek's 670 acres), it's certainly not lacking when it comes to beauty or providing that woodsy sense of seclusion that we nature-loving Portlandians crave.

View Larger Map

There is not a lot of parking available around the park. The natural area is really tucked into the neighborhood, and there is no parking lot. So I would encourage you to hike, bike, or use TriMet (Click here to Open TripPlanner). Route 43 will get you within a half mile of the park's western edge.

Maricara Natural Area consists of mostly second-growth Douglas fir and Big Leaf Maple woodlands. The forest surrounds a wooded wetland area which is the headwaters for a small stream that flows into Arnold Creek, then on to Tryon Creek and the Willamette River. The elevation between any two points in the park only differs by about 100 feet, so no steep hikes here.

The Indian Plum (Oemleria cerasiformis) was just beginning to sprout its lance-shaped leaves when I visited. I thought it was interesting that the leaves were sprouting before the flower racemes. In my yard, which gets full sun, the the flower racemes come into full bloom before you see this much leaf. I wonder if it has to do with the amount of sun received.

I love the ferns growing in the moss on this tree.

Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)

When I spotted this little brown bird making its way up the trunk of a Douglas Fir, I thought it was some type of nuthatch, even though I knew that nuthatches usually travel head-first down the tree. I couldn't see the curved beak until I got home and enlarged the photo. Nuthatches have straight, stout, pointed bills. This bird, as it turns out, is a Brown Creeper (Certhia americana). They use their long, sturdy tails for support as they move spirally up tree trunks, probing for insects and spiders. (The tail of a nuthatch is shorter - they don't use them for support because their heads are usually facing down the trunk.)

Douglas Squirrel (Tamiasciurus douglasii) enjoying Douglas fir seeds

As I was walking quietly along, I heard the distinct sound of nibbling. I scanned the trees and saw this Douglas Squirrel having lunch. It had almost worked its way through a Douglas fir cone, like a big piece of corn on the cob.

I thought the corona of fungus around this log was interesting.

The photo above shows one of the wooded wetland areas. More of a "dampland" really. I'm sure it's wetter at times - this hasn't been one of our rainiest periods recently - but this is not the kind of wetland with lots of open water to attract ducks and geese. A very understated wetland, for the woodland creatures to enjoy.

On the south side of the park, coming up from the bridge across the creek, the ground was just covered with the young plants pictured above. I could be wrong, but I think this is Western (or Pacific) Bleeding Heart (Dicentra formosa), one of our native wildflowers. It's hard for me to tell when they're so young, but if I'm right, this will be a beautiful spot to visit in a couple weeks or so.

Update (March 9th, 2012): OK - I think I was wrong about that being Pacific Bleeding Heart. Mike Bezner, over at Slugyard, noted on my Facebook page that this looks like Waterleaf. After using his suggestion to do some searching on the intertubes, I agree. This picture looks very much like mine. And here's some more info on Pacific Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum viridulum). Sounds like it doesn't bloom until May or so, but it does have nice flowers - if not as showy as Bleeding Heart. I'm just glad to know this plant that was widespread at Maricara Natural Area is a west coast native, and not one of the many invasive species Portland is at war with. Thanks for the tip, Mike!

Lots of Oregon Grape. I believe this is the shorter variety, Dull Oregon Grape (Mahonia nervosa), as opposed to Tall Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium), which is Oregon's State Flower. There's also Creeping Oregon grape (Mahonia repens), but it's leaves are not as sharply toothed.

The Big Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum) pictured above seems to be growing out of an old stump. I thought maybe it was a rotted old Douglas fir stump that played host to a Big Leaf Maple seedling. On closer inspection, the bark on the "stump" appears to be Big Leaf Maple as well. Definitely not conifer bark. I believe it's some kind of burl on the tree - it doesn't really appear to be a stump at all.

This is the upper portion of that same Big Leaf Maple- showing off its luxurious coat of moss and fern greenery.

Lots of bird houses around the park. I noticed a "PSU" marking on a couple. Some Portland State University study or project?

This picture looks very primeval. Those logs have been there a while.

So that's my visit to Maricara Natural Area. The park is a real jewel, and I recommend you check it out soon! If you do, let me know if those "Bleeding Hearts" are in bloom.

For more info on Maricara Natural Area, visit the park's Intertwine page, and the Portland Parks & Recreation page, where you can download a trail and contour map, as well as a planning document which tells all about the park's species, condition, and planning for improvements (some of which have been completed).

Spring? What Spring?

2012-03-01T14:41:00.000-08:00

Snow on Kinnikinnick

I know spring is not actually here yet, but we have had some very spring-like weather in the Portland area this late-winter. I recently posted about all the native plants breaking into bloom. In the time since that post, my Red-flowering Currant has joined the party.

Now we've had several nights of 30 degree temperatures, and not much warming during the day. It tried to snow yesterday, and it looks like it succeeded sometime last night.

Red-flowering Currant

Indian Plum blooms above Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium littorale)

Not much snow to speak of, but enough to give us - and the plants - a reality check.

Indian Plum

I'm not sure if this soothes my Spring Fever, or just makes it that much worse, but March 20th is still out there. Slowly making its way to us.

Busy, Busy Beavers (and Frog)

2012-02-28T17:31:00.000-08:00

I've posted before, about Minthorn Springs Wetland in Milwaukie. It's a great little wetland habitat, surprisingly close to commercial, light industrial, and residential development along the Milwaukie Expressway (HWY 224, connecting I-205 and HWY 99E).

My office is on the edge of this wetland, so I drive by frequently. On one recent trip, I looked in to the woods around the wetland as I was driving by, and noticed the bright, exposed wood of fresh beaver chews on several large trees. One was pretty far along, and I was hoping to get back there with a camera before the tree came down. Turns out I was too slow. But I think the one felled tree with the three or four soon-to-be-felled trees actually made for a more interesting picture.

Timberrrrrrrrr!!

That's the Milwaukie Marketplace shopping center in the background. Doesn't seem to bother the beavers. In fact, it looks like they're trying to clear a better view!

I'm always amazed by the size of the wood chips made by the beavers. They look like something from a commercial chipper.

A Beaver's "To-Do" List

The Wetlands Conservancy manages this area along with the City of Milwaukie. Someone has protected some of the larger trees with wire fencing, but others have been left to their own defenses. It won't be too long before the trees pictured here give way.

Beaver Teeth Marks in Detail

A beaver's gotta do what a beaver's gotta do!

A beaver's teeth have a high iron content, making them very strong - and orange. And they never stop growing either, so they don't get worn down. Pretty handy if you like to chew on wood.

I recently saw a beautifully-filmed documentary about beavers, called Beavers - The Biggest Dam Movie You Ever Saw. That film had me thinking that beavers were diurnal, because it has lots of great footage of beavers doing their thing in broad daylight. One website I read said that beavers can be seen during the day (especially early or late), but it said they are mostly nocturnal. Maybe the beavers in that film just felt safe because their pond was so pristine and remote. (Or maybe they were paid actors - I don't know.) Actually, the remote habitat might be precisely the reason those beavers were day-workers. According to the Oregon Zoo, "beavers are active during the day... but become nocturnal with human encroachment." I'm guessing the beavers at Minthorn Springs are nocturnal.

Beavers are one of the largest rodents - weighing up to 65 pounds - and they can be found in many places around the Portland Metro area, across Oregon, the Northwest, and beyond. Beavers, in fact, can be found across most of North America and throughout a large part of Eurasia as well. Where have you seen them? Any surprising places around Portland? (Remember - nutria can do a pretty good beaver impression if you don't get a look at the tail.)

Can you spot the native amphibian in this image?

OK, enough about beavers.

Somewhere in the picture above is a small, native amphibian. Hint: It jumped out of my way as I was leaving the wetland.

Did you find it?


There it is! It's Pseudacris regilla, a Pacific Tree Frog! (Or Pacific Chorus Frog.)

Here's a closer (if a bit blurry) look at the little jumper (it's in the upper right portion of the first photo). I believe it's a Pacific Tree Frog, also known as the Pacific Chorus Frog. Apparently the species is not technically a tree frog, so Pacific Chorus Frog may be a more accurate name, but it seems like there is some disagreement out there about exactly what to call these native frogs.

Pseudacris belongs to the genus Hyla. And according to Wikipedia, because of some geographic-turned-genetic separation, "...the genus Hyla has been split into three separate genera: Aris, Limnaoedus, and Pseudacris. This is where the current confusion has taken place. Although the Pacific Tree Frog has carried the scientific name of Hyla regilla for many years, the most current consensus among scientists is that they should actually be Pseudacris regilla. This is still not agreed upon completely, and in the future we will see what becomes of these names."

When I saw this frog, I wasn't sure what kind it was. But I had heard about the Pacific Chorus Frog, and thought that might be it. Looking through pictures of Chorus Frogs online, I couldn't find one with the exact same markings. Then I learned that, not only can these frogs change color from brown to green, they can actually change between distinctive markings and solid colors. (Although the dark stripe from the nose, through the eye, and back to the shoulder - which is just visible on the frog's right side in my photo - is a more permanent field mark along with the presence of rounded toepads.) From what I've read, these color changes are not fast like a chameleon, but slower changes in response to changes in their environment, or to seasonal color changes in their surroundings.

I wanted to get a closer, clearer picture of this frog, but he jumped down into one of the many sinkholes that dot the dry ground in this wetland.

Minthorn Springs may be small in size, but it never fails to present something interesting.

Read my older post about Minthorn Springs, which includes maps and more info, here.

Nature Word of the Week: Cere

2012-02-23T10:37:00.000-08:00

This week's Nature Word - cere - was pulled from the avian morphology category.

The cere on this Peregrine Falcon is yellow.

Cere is defined in two ways by thefreedictionary.com (see link for pronunciation):

To wrap in or as if in cerecloth (cerecloth being a type of waxed cloth used for wrapping a corpse)
A fleshy or waxlike membrane at the base of the upper beak in certain birds, such as parrots, through which the nostrils open.

So the cere is as plain as the nose on a bird's beak. Or at least on "certain birds" which have ceres, such as raptors, owls, skuas, parrots, turkeys and curassows.

The cere can be feathered, but is more commonly bare, and it is often brightly colored. According to Wikipedia, the cere in raptors "is a sexual signal which indicates the "quality" of a bird". (Makes you want to look a little more closely at the Raptor Cam, doesn't it?) Also, the cere can be a good field mark, helpful in distinguishing between the sexes of some species.

The cere should not be confused with the operculum, which is more of a cover for the nares (or nostrils) of some birds.

Portland's Native Plants Spring to Life

2012-02-09T18:27:00.000-08:00

Remember all that sun we had recently? Wasn't that amazing? I wonder if we'll feel that kind of warmth on our shoulders again before, I don't know... June? I sure hope so, because I've got a bad case of Spring Fever!

This past weekend, I tried to soak up as many of those precious rays as I could. So while millions were watching Superbowl XLVI, I was out puttering around the yard, doing whatever I could find to keep me outside a little longer. I did some weeding, a little pruning, and some removal of last year's dead growth. I was somewhat surprised to see just how much some of my native plants had also noticed the warmth.

This is my Indian Plum, or Osoberry (Oemleria cerasiformis). It's a large native shrub, and one of our earliest bloomers. An important early nectar source for all those Mason Bees and other native pollinators.

The female plants produce small purple berries that look like tiny plums, but to get the berries, you'll need both a male and a female plant. I only have one of these right now, and I believe it's a male. I'm going to be adding two more Indian Plum starts to a reclaimed parking strip this spring, so I'm hoping to end up with fruit for the local birds.

These racemes produce small white flowers that some say smell unpleasant. I personally think they smell kind of nice and woodsy.

I think it's interesting that the racemes turn so drastically downward after emerging. Seeing one full of flowers you might think it was the weight that pulled it down, but that's not the case. They turn downwards almost immediately. Maybe to make room for the lance shaped leaves to emerge upwards? Maybe for pollinator access? I don't know, but there must be a reason.

Because I do think the flowers smell fine, I brought a couple of stems inside and placed them in water, after trimming them away from the house. Three days later and I have instant Spring!

My Indian Plum has been in the ground for about 3 years, and it's about 10 feet tall right now. I just trim it gently, after flowering, to keep it away from the house and path. I've read that you can trim these down to the ground to reclaim an overgrown specimen.

This is a bud just opening on one of my Red-flowering Currants. One of the showiest blooms in my yard full of native species.

OK - these last two plants are not native species. Two of the very few non-native plants in my yard.

Sprouting up through the mulch, these Stella D'Oro daylilies look like little green fingers pointing toward the sun in the southern sky.

This last one is a Persian Ironwood tree, Parrotia Persica "Vanessa". (Also called Vanessa Persian Witchhazel.)

I chose the Persian Ironwood from Friends of Trees because - although it's not native - established trees, are drought, cold, and insect resistant. They also have beautiful fall color and these lovely little blood-red flowers. The flowers remind me of clover flowers in shape and size.

I wanted to include this photo not only because the tree is blooming, but because the picture shows that amazing blue sky we were enjoying.

Those are the major signs of spring in my yard, what native plants are blooming in your neck of the woods?

I'm looking forward to spring, and to my parking strip planting project. Hopefully we do get some more of that sun and brilliant blue sky before June, but I shouldn't complain about the clouds and rain. Without them, Portland and western Oregon wouldn't be so beautiful and green, would they?

Columbia Gorge-ous Winter Afternoon

2012-02-05T10:01:00.000-08:00

I took a quick trip out to the Columbia Gorge on the last weekend in January, to see the falls in their full winter glory (must be all that pluviosity - lots of rain the week before), and to celebrate my mom's birthday. She chose the destination, and I thought it sounded great.

Multnomah Falls

It was a cold but beautiful, sunny afternoon. (The north-facing Oregon side of the Gorge doesn't allow much of the winter sun to hit the ground, but still...)

Here's a quick post to share a few pictures.

View Larger Map

Multnomah Falls

There was a lot of water coming over the cliff at Multnomah Falls! There was even a "bonus fall"off to the right a little bit.

Multnomah Falls

As we drove along the Historic Columbia River Highway to visit some of the other falls, we saw several sort of impromptu falls - streaming down in places that are normally dry.

Most rock surfaces were alive and green because everywhere you looked there was moss...

moss...

and more moss!

I love this last moss here. It's tiny leaves almost look like one of Oregon's native succulents.

The next fall we stopped at was Wahkeena Falls. The name Wahkeena comes from a Native American phrase meaning "most beautiful", and I tend to agree. The way this fall comes from both sides at the top, then twists and tumbles its way down into the gorge is incredibly beautiful.

Wahkeena Falls

Next up was Latourell Falls. This is another straight drop, more similar to Multnomah Falls, but it's even more free-hanging than Multnomah. The water absolutely thunders as it hits the rocks at the bottom, unimpeded by the cliff face.

Latourell Falls

View East from Crown Point

We came to Crown Point and Vista House as the light was turning orange.

A final look back at Vista House overlooking the Columbia Gorge, taken from the Women's Forum viewpoint.

An excellent day enjoying some of the beautiful scenery very close to Portland.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Graham Oaks Nature Park (Part 2): Restoring Oak Woodlands in Wilsonville

2012-02-02T15:29:00.000-08:00

In Part 1 of this post, I was taking you along on my first exploration of Graham Oaks Nature Park.

Let's pick up where we left off - on the Legacy Creek Trail as it emerges from the conifer forest, to join the Coyote Way Trail.

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What's that sitting atop that young Ponderosa Pine? This is as close as I could get with a 300mm lens, and without leaving the trail which would be frowned upon here in the Nature Park, but I believe it's an American Kestrel. I love these pint-sized predators.

One section of the Coyote Way Trail skirts the mature oak woodlands, where I spotted some of the largest oak galls I've ever seen.

After crossing the northern end of the park, and before turning back to the south on the main Tonquin Trail, I took a short side trip to a small bridge over a marshy area, where I was hearing the sounds of Red-winged blackbirds. Before I got there, they all flew up to the near-by trees, and I realized it was actually a variety of birds that had been enjoying the shrubby growth along the wetland. In the shot below, I believe you can see three European Starlings, one male Red-winged Blackbird and a pair of Purple Finches (or House Finches or...? My ID skills and my camera lens are both somewhat lacking in this instance.)

Back to the Tonquin Trail and a little farther south, there's another short side-trail that leads to this artful bird blind overlooking the restored wetland area.

There's an educational flip book...

...and even a key that identifies the birds represented on the screen. How great is that?

Mallards enjoying the wetland

While I was watching, a flock of Red-winged Blackbirds took flight, circled around, and landed back along the wetland shrubs and grasses.

Turn up the volume on this video clip and listen for the Red-winged Blackbirds.

As the sun was getting low on this gorgeous January day, I came to another side-trail that lead to the Elder Oak. What a magnificent old tree. Hopefully this tree will be around for another 150 years and more, to witness the return of this oak savanna and woodland.

I noticed the bright color of this shrub's twigs from a distance along the wetland, but then ran across a section of it right along the Tonquin Trail.

I've done a lot of searching on the intertubes in an attempt to identify the plant. It reminded me a little bit of Red-osier Dogwood, a plant that I have in my native landscaping, but the twigs are golden-green instead of red. I thought maybe it was Golden Twig Dogwood, but I think I've ruled that one out. The closest thing I can find is Lemmon's Willow (Salix lemmonii), but I'm not sure. One article I read said that Lemmon's Willow grows on the eastern slope of the Cascades. Anyone have a more definitive ID? Update: 2/5/12 - I sent an e-mail to someone at Metro's Native Plant Center, and she said that Lemmon's Willow is not used in the Willamette Valley. The plant would be Piper’s, Scouler’s or Sitka willow. I had a hard time finding images of any of these plants online, with twigs as golden-green as the ones I saw. (The twigs on most of these plants turn brown or gray as they age.) I did find one page that described the twigs of the Sitka Willow as "yellow-green when young", so I think that might be the one. If I had a spot wet enough to support these, I think they would look great along side some Red-osier Dogwoods. They could both be trimmed down each year to maintain the color. (End update.)

Getting close to the end of my walk, I happened to see what looked like the traces of a bad dog just off the path (actually I should say bad dog owner - pick-up bags are provided at the park). I averted my eyes and walked on, but then my brain did a double take and I had to walk back to take a closer look. Upon closer inspection, the next option that entered my mind was coyote droppings, due to the presence of what appeared to be gray - possibly rodent - fur and tiny bones.

The closer I looked, the more it seemed like the fur really made up the bulk of this... "object", so then I though it must be an owl pellet that was somewhat deteriorated by the recent rains.

Doing a little research, I learned that owls are not the only birds that regurgitate the indigestible bits of their meals in pellet form. According to Wikipedia, hawks, eagles and "many other species produce pellets, including grebes, herons, cormorants, gulls, terns, kingfishers, crows, jays, dippers, shrikes, swallows, and most shorebirds." So judging from the location and the presence of bones, I'm guessing this pellet is from an owl or hawk of some kind.

With the sun setting, it looks like my time is up for now.

Graham Oaks Nature Park is already a great place to visit, and future generations will have a truly wonderful piece of restored habitat to enjoy, thanks to Portland area voters and all the work that Metro has put in to this project.

If you want to learn more about the park and how Metro supplies all the native plants for their restoration projects, I recommend the four short videos on this Metro page.

Graham Oaks Nature Park (Part 1): Restoring Oak Woodlands in Wilsonville

2012-01-31T12:06:00.000-08:00

Just outside the city limits of Wilsonville (the southernmost suburb of Portland) and only one and a half miles from busy Interstate 5, you can find 250 acres of beautiful open space to explore in relative solitude. Graham Oaks Nature Park is an effort to restore a piece of our native oak woodlands. The park features three miles of trails through several types of habitat - in addition to oak woodland - including savanna, conifer forest and wetland areas.

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Graham Oaks is the newest natural area purchased and restored by Metro using funds from two voter-approved bond measures. The park facilities utilize many sustainable materials and practices and look very similar to the facilities at some of Metro's other parks, like Cooper Mountain in Beaverton, and Mount Talbert in Clackamas. Lots of great interpretive signs as well as nature-themed art installations enrich the outdoor experience.

One of the first signs you'll see as you approach the park's Gateway Plaza will be of particular interest to all the dog owners out there. Because of the sensitive habitats and ongoing restoration, canine friends are only allowed limited access - if any - to all of Metro's nature parks. Dogs are allowed on the central, paved trail at Graham Oaks, but to fully enjoy this park and all it has to offer, you'll probably want to leave your four-legged buddy at home.

You can read all about the park's features, history, and other specific information on Metro's website, but right now, come along as I retrace my first exploration of the park through the photos below.

Entrance to Gateway Plaza

Leaving the small-ish parking lot and heading in to Gateway Plaza, you'll pass storm water swales neatly planted with native species, beautiful rock walls made from Columbia River basaslt, and a picnic shelter with an ecoroof.

Pacific Madrone near Gateway Plaza

Although the park is attempting to restore the oak woodlands, you'll immediately see that they've planted a wide variety of native trees, shrubs, grasses and other plants. I saw one of my favorite NW trees right away, the Pacific Madrone.

Watch for details like these "animal tracks" in the cement walkway.

Arriving at Gateway Plaza, you find yourself surrounded by a trellis made from sustainably harvested wood, highlighted by recycled metal artwork.

The many informative signs here tell all about the park's history, the effort to restore the land to a natural state, and the wildlife that's expected to benefit.

From Gateway Plaza, the paved trail leads to Acorn Plaza, which boasts one very large acorn.

I mentioned before that Metro has planted more than just oak trees here in the park. In fact, they've planted over 150,000 native trees and shrubs of many kinds, as well as more than a hundred million wildflower and grass seeds. As you leave Acorn Plaza and enter the more open, natural areas of the park, you'll begin to see some of these young plants growing in little groupings throughout the grassland. Some of the non-oak plant species I noticed were Ponderosa Pine, Western Red Cedar, Grand fir, Douglas fir, Oregon Grape, Snowberry, and - I believe - Black Gooseberry (Ribes lacustre). I'm sure there are many others, too. Which ones have you seen at Graham Oaks?

Mount Hood and the Elder Oak

From most of the open area in the park, you can see the park's crown jewel - the Elder Oak. Estimated to be between 150 and 200 years old, the tree is surrounded by a low fence to protect the soil and roots. Benches provide a great spot to take a break, and listen to the quiet wisdom the Elder has to offer.

The route I took lead me into the conifer forest before circling around to the ancient oak. This is the Legacy Creek Trail as it enters the woods.

Legacy Creek overlook

Legacy Creek is one of 5 creeks that run through (or from) the property. In the 1950's there was an effort to drain the wetlands on the site, by installing a pipe to divert the water. The restoration has restored some of the natural flow and once again expanded the wetland.

Judging from how lush the understory is in this section of forest, you would think that the area had been spared the invasion of English ivy by which so many of our parks are threatened. It turns out that this forest was in fact once choked by that fiendish plant, but a six-year effort by volunteers has really paid off. I haven't seen a more complete recovery anywhere in the Portland area. The forest floor is thick with native plants like sword fern, Oregon grape, Indian Plum and many others.

Coming up in Part 2 of this post, we get back out in the open savanna to see a few birds - including a raptor. Also, a wetland bird blind that will do more to help the fledgling bird enthusiast than just hiding them from the birds. Be sure to read on for that and more!