Bird #430 — Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Posted on May 6, 2008 by Roger

poecile (many-colored) rufescens (reddish)

Tuesday, May 6, 2008 — 5:36 pm

Hood River County, Oregon — Tucker County Park

We drove through the town of Hood River and up into the apple-growing region in the foothills beneath Mount Hood. We stopped for 20 minutes or so at Tucker County Park on the Hood River. The park consisted of a campground, a small picnic area, and a short path along the river.

In the center of the picnic area right next to the parking lot was a small birch tree. In the birch tree was a small hole. Also in the birch tree, and in and out of the hole, was a pair of Chestnut-backed Chickadees. They zipped back and forth in and out of the hole, and were still there when we left half an hour later.

Chestnut-backed Chickadee - Tucker County Park - Hood River County, Oregon - May 6, 2008

Two photos of the Hood River as it runs past the park. We saw an American Dipper flying up and down the river while we were there.

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Remember the old days when you could push a button by mistake and nobody would know?

Posted on May 6, 2008 by Roger

My car is 15 years old. It still has switches and cranks. There are no buttons on the dashboard except on the CD player, and most of those don’t work.

When I was in Portland recently, my rent-a-car was a new Chevy Cobalt in an obnoxious shade of yellow that doesn’t exist in nature (and shouldn’t exist out of it). There were ten buttons (I’m not kidding — I counted them) on the steering wheel alone.

My sister and I were cruising down a remote mountain road somewhere near Mount Hood when I accidentally pushed one of the buttons — I have no idea which one.

Suddenly the disembodied voice of a woman was talking to me. “You’ve contacted Onstar. How can we help you?” It was so startling that I didn’t know what to say. I made some comment, and the voice said, “Repeat.” I said something to my sister, and the voice said “Repeat.”

My sister said, “Ask how to turn it off.” The voice said, “Talk slowly please.”

I said, “How do I turn it off.” The voice said, “Pardon.”

By this time, we were both laughing. Every time we made a noise, the voice said, “Pardon.”

At least it was polite about its intrusion. And then suddenly, a live person was inside the car with us. “Hello, this is Onstar. How can we help you?”

I said, “I’m sorry. I’m in a rent-a-car and pushed the wrong button somehow. I have no idea how to turn it off.”

The woman said, “No problem. I’ll sign you off. Remember we’re here if you need us.”

And even if I didn’t, evidently. For the rest of the trip, I was afraid to touch the steering wheel.

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Animal #49 — Western Gray Squirrel

Posted on May 6, 2008 by Roger

sciurus griseus

Tuesday, May 6, 2008 — 6:10 pm

Hood River County, Oregon — Lost Lake Road

My sister and I drove south from Hood River and headed for Lost Lake, which was supposed to be a good place to bird. It may be, but we’ll probably never know because when we were still several miles from the lake, the road was covered with snow. We turned around and headed back.

But on the way up, a Western Gray Squirrel ran across the road in front of the car and headed down into a depression in the evergreen woods. It looked like an Eastern Gray Squirrel, except that it seemed a bit longer and lankier. Its back was silver gray and its belly was white, with no brown or warm tones anywhere. It stopped briefly on a log along the road, but scurried off before I could get a photo.

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Mount Hood

Posted on May 6, 2008 by Roger

If you're out and about near Portland, and the sky is clear, Mount Hood is visible. To a guy from the Midwest, massiveness of the mountain rising above everything else is startling. Here are four photos I took during the four days I was in Oregon.

From the apple-growing region near the small town of Dee south of Hood River.

Mount Hood from Dee, Oregon

Another shot from the same area, with the top of apple trees and a soaring Turkey Vulture visible in the foreground.

Mount Hood from Dee, Oregon

From across the Columbia River in Washington, with Hood River, Oregon in the foreground.

Mount Hood and Hood River, Oregon from across the Columbia River in Washington

And from in front of our hotel on Hayden Island north of Portland, looking east down the Columbia River. I find this view the most startling of all. That's a lot of mountain.

Mount Hood from Hayden Island, Portland, Oregon

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Bird #429 — Western Wood-Pewee

Posted on May 6, 2008 by Roger

contopus (from kontos, short, and pous, foot) sordidulus (dirty, unkempt)

Tuesday, May 6, 2008 — 4:25 pm

Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon — Eagle Creek

I wonder what the story is behind that Latin name?

We walked down the Wauna Viewpoint Trail, crossed the bridge over Eagle Creek and headed down the road toward our car. I spotted this Western Wood-Pewee hawking insects in the bushes and small trees across the creek. It looked much like an Eastern Wood-Pewee, perhaps a bit darker gray. It had a long tail, no eye ring and faint wing bars. It didn’t stay long in any one place. I watched it flit around for a couple minutes, then lost track of it when I was distracted by a female Merganser (probably a Common Merganser, but I’m not sure) that flew down the creek.

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