[obol] OFO annual meeting in Bend June 22-24 - Painted Hills field trip info

[Joel Geier]

Hi folks,

This announcement was previously posted on COBOL but I sorry I've neglected 
to post on OBOL. 

Registration packets for the Oregon Field Ornithologists (OFO) Annual Meeting 
in Bend, June 22-24, should be arriving in mailboxes of OFO members soon. 
Non-members who are interested in attending and/or joining can look for the 
info on the OFO web site, www.oregonbirds.org.

An excellent slate of field trips are being offered for central Oregon, 
including  a local "Big Day" field trip, plus more low-key field trips to 
some great spots including Glaze Meadow, Calliope Crossing, Cold Springs, 
Bend-area trails & parks, the High Lakes area, and the High Desert.

One field trip that I offered to lead did not make it into the registration 
materials, since I proposed it rather late in the process. This trip 
highlights a transect over the Ochoco Mountains from Ochoco Ranger Station 
(east of Prineville) to the Painted Hills Unit of John Day Fossil Beds 
National Monument in southwest Wheeler County. 

Here are my plans for this trip, which will be on Saturday, June 23:

This will be a full-day field trip over the Ochoco Mountains to the
Painted Hills Unit of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, via the
Old Ochoco Highway. The route offers a scenic transect through some
interesting geology as well as very diverse bird habitat.

MAIN STOPS: Stops along the route will include:

(1) Ochoco Ranger Station (Crook Co.) to try for Veery and other
songbirds in the riparian growth.

(2) Crystal Springs (Wheeler Co.) for woodpeckers & sapsuckers as well
as typical songbirds of the aspen & ponderosa habitats.

(3) Wildwood Campground and nearby burn to look for more woodpeckers,
possible nesting MacGillivray's Warbler and Lincoln's Sparrow, and
Townsend's Warblers in the Douglas-fir/mixed-conifer forest.

(4) O'Kelly Creek waterfall, where a short walk leads into a small, lush
canyon that may have Western Flycatcher and Orange-crowned Warbler.

(5) Painted Hills for birds of the badlands and juniper woodlands
(Loggerhead Shrike, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Black-chinned Hummingbird),
and marsh birds at the Painted Cove reservoir (possibly including 
Tricolored Blackbird if a few are still in the vicinity of the nesting
colony, although this would be rather late in the season).

(6) Meyers Canyon, an oasis spot where juniper woodland birds can
sometimes be seen coming in for water.

(7) Ochoco Reservoir (back in Crook Co.) where we can scan for grebes,
pelicans, and other water birds on our way back to Bend.

Depending on how we're doing for time, we may also venture into some
lodgepole habitat along the Ochoco crest.

DEPARTURE TIME: We'll leave at 4:30 AM on Saturday (the same time as the
"Big Day" field trip) in order to have a chance for singing Veery at our
first stop, and to have a full morning of birding in the Ochocos.

MEALS: I recommend signing up for the "Big Day breakfast" when you
register, if you want to join either this trip or the separate "Big Day"
trip (or if you prefer, you can bring your own breakfast). 

A box lunch WON'T be an option, unfortunately. I plan to bring a big
cooler with a good assortment of sandwich fixings (vegetarian &
otherwise), fruit, and sodas. We'll build our own lunches when we reach
the picnic area at Painted Hills. 

To help me plan the shopping, I'd appreciate knowing by June 20th if you
intend to join this trip (a side trip to the general store in Mitchell
is a possibility if we end up short on provisions). We'll aim to be back
to Bend in plenty of time for dinner.

RESTROOMS: Pit toilets are available at stops (1), (3), (5), and (7). 

WATER: Water is usually available at stops (1), (5), and (7). I will
bring 5 gallons of potable water. Participants are encouraged to bring
at least 2 quarts of drinking water for their own use.

EXERTION: Most of our birding will be on short walks (usually 200 yards
or less) at the main stops. Some of this will be over uneven terrain,
but I don't plan on any major hikes. All of the planned stops offer good
birding within a few yards of the car.

BIRDING STYLE: The main aim of the trip is to experience the diversity
of habitats that are found along this route. We'll try not to do much
"birding through the windshield," in order to ensure quality time at the
main stops. I like to spend some time checking out wildflowers, herps,
geology and other natural features as well as birding. The diversity of
habitats along this route should yield a nice species list for the day,
but maximizing this list is not a priority.

DRIVING: I plan to bring our minivan which seats six comfortably. If we
get more participants than that, we'll need additional drivers &
vehicles. This route includes about 20 miles of good-quality gravel
road, plus about 120 miles of paved road (round trip from Bend). The
road into Meyers Canyon is unimproved (dirt) and has some substantial
ruts in places, but we won't go that far in unless all drivers are
comfortable (or if there has been recent rain).

COSTS: Small donations to help defray costs of gas and lunch will be
appreciated.

See the OFO website www.oregonbirds.org for meeting registration info.

Happy birding,
Joel

--
Joel Geier
Corvallis
tel. 541 745-5821