May 28, 2005
Saddle Mt State Park, Clatsop Co
I hiked up Saddle Mountain (the one in Clatsop Co.) today (May 27) hoping to get there before the Memorial Day Weekend tourists beat the place up.....
My primary mission was to find early butterflies, particularly MOSS'S ELFIN which I located with surprising ease.
Also a likely county first ACMON BLUE which wouldn't hold still for photos.
The big surprise was at the summit where 3 breeding plumage Hepburn's GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCHES were hanging out. The only other rosy-finch I've seen in the county was one coming to a feeder a few years back. Not something I expected this late in May, either.
Also near the summit was a female CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD working the paintbrush. Many RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS as well, including at least 2 juveniles and a still territorial male.
Non-avian species:
Anise Swallowtail 3
Pale Swallowtail 4
Margined White 15
Spring Azure 3
ACMON BLUE 1
MOSS'S ELFIN 4
W. Meadow Fritillary 1
Painted Lady 19
skipper sp. 1
Cinnabar Moth 2
Brush Rabbit
Townsend's Chipmunk
Douglas's Squirrel
Wapiti
Northwestern Gartersnake
Birds seen (in taxonomic order):
Blue Grouse 1 [1]
Turkey Vulture 6
Calliope Hummingbird 1 [2]
Rufous Hummingbird 12 [3]
Northern Flicker 2
Pacific-slope Flycatcher 6
Warbling Vireo 2
Steller's Jay 3
Common Raven 2
Violet-green Swallow 8
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 2
Brown Creeper 2
Winter Wren 5
American Dipper 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 10
Swainson's Thrush 3
American Robin 4
Varied Thrush 2
Orange-crowned Warbler 2
Black-throated Gray Warbler 3
Hermit Warbler 1
Wilson's Warbler 6
Western Tanager 1
White-crowned Sparrow 6
Dark-eyed Junco 8
Black-headed Grosbeak 1
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch 3 [4]
Evening Grosbeak 2
Footnotes:
[1] calling near the parking lot
[2] near the top; female, small, short-billed, short, squared off tail.
[3] probably an under count, at least one male and a couple definite juvies
[4] First seen in the gravelly area at the summit, then later on the back side feeding on the viewpoint trail.
Total number of species seen: 28
Posted by mbalame at May 28, 2005 2:45 PM