WILDLIFE
Spring Welcomes Songbirds to Mt Hood
In the early morning dawn, before daylight, the songbirds come to life in the forests of Mt Hood. My favorite wake up call each morning is to just lie in bed, slowly greeting the day by listening to the calls, songs and often-unusual sounds of the forest’s springtime birds.
The Villages of Mt Hood boast some of Oregon’s lushest temperate rainforest, serene meadows and old-growth forests in a clean and green environment of breathtaking beauty. The area is dissected by th
e Sandy, Zig Zag and Salmon rivers as well as numerous creeks and waterways, all creating a special home to a multitude of birds.
The Oregon Birding Trails Advisory Board recently dedicated the Oregon Cascades Birding Trail, the first of 7 major trails planned for the state. The Cascades Trail covers over 1,000 miles and nearly 200 key birding sites in Oregon's spectacular Cascade Mountains. Twenty-two wild and scenic rivers intertwine to provide access to 9,000,000 acres of public land. The Oregon Cascades Birding Trail includes two magnificent locations for bird watching, right here in the Villages of Mt Hood. The trail is truly one-of-a-kind. For a printable map of the Mt Hood Loop portion of the trail, visit: http://www.oregonbirdingtrails.org/mt_hood.pdf
When birding, each participant should have their own binoculars, with 7 or 8 magnification and outer lenses at least 35mm diameter to help you locate birds more easily. When you see a bird, lock your eyesight onto the bird, note any features of reference near the bird, and bring your binoculars up to your eyes.
Lost Creek Campground
Nature Trail & Old Maid Flats
Mt Hood NF, Zig Zag RD. From Hwy 26, 18 miles east of Sandy, turn left (north) on Lolo Pass Rd directly across from Zigzag Ranger Station; after approximately 4 miles, turn right onto Forest Road 1828; drive 0.6 miles and bear right across bridge on Forest Road 1825.
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Look for birds in the Lodgepole forest along Old Maid Flats or continue until the road ends at the campground. Old Maid Flats was formed by a mudflow off the west flank of Mt. Hood 250 years ago. You will find birds in open stands of lodgepole pine with pockets of huckleberry, an understory of moss and ferns. Breeding populations of Hammond’s Flycatcher, Hermit Thrush and Western Tanager all live here. Lost Creek Campground has paved, handicap-accessible trail along the creek through a dense mature mixed conifer forest; look for Winter Wren, Red-breasted Nuthatch and Varied and Swainson’s Thrushes.
A spur off the main loop parallels Lost Creek through brushy habitats along a boardwalk; look for Rufous Hummingbird, MacGillivray’s, Yellow and Nashville Warblers. The beaver pond sometimes host herons and mallards.
Wildwood Recreation Area
On Hwy 26, 15 miles east of Sandy and 2 miles west of Welches on south side of road. Wildwood Park is a popular recreation area bordering the Salmon River, a National Wild and Scenic River.
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The mixed conifer and hardwood forest, freshwater wetland, and riparian forest are host to Harlequin Duck, Common Merganser, American Dipper, Spotted Sandpiper, and Belted Kingfisher along Salmon River. The wetland boardwalk trail offers opportunities to see Wood Duck, Red-winged Blackbird and Common Yellowthroat.
Characteristic forest birds include resident Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Winter Wren, Steller’s Jay, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Pileated Woodpecker, and Varied Thrush. The nesting species include Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Pacific-Slope Flycatcher, and Wilson’s, Hermit and Black-throated Gray Warblers.
April/May 2007 « Back to this issue...