The End of Summer with Sandhill cranes at Ridgefield NWR

     A couple weeks ago, when Daniel Rubinoff was helping me with the butterflies of the Bay, he noted that butterfly season must be over in the Pacific Northwest.  This was almost a challenge.  Sandra and I got out and saw some skippers and a California Tortoiseshell at Dougan Falls.  The tortoiseshell actually made it into the net, but was released when identified as the common butterfly of 2026.  Then, on a trip to see our friends and relatives north of Seattle, I saw a Painted Lady nectaring on some small white flowers our friend Jackie has growing around her front porch.  Jackie is a wonderful gardener, so if anyone could attract butterflies in September, it ought to be her.

Green Heron with crest, Ridgefield NWR, September 26 AI

    But now, butterfly season is ending and it will soon be time to start writing blogs about the Hawaiian reef.  We were going to make a stab at Mount Hood a few days ago but the predicted high was only 59 degrees at Timberline, too cold for butterflies.  So today, we decided to take a trip to the Ridgefield NWR.

   The target species for today's adventure were migrating Sandhill Cranes, which appear in moist grasslands near Portland in mid-September.  Gemini, notorious for telling you what it thinks you want to hear, suggested the cranes were at Ridgefield this week.  Well, we would see.

   We arrived at the refuge around nine.  It was overcast and cool.  Soon we were on the two and a half mile loop road through the marshes and meadows.  Immediately, on the mud surrounding the very first pond. we saw a green heron.  It is a testament to this refuge, which encourages you to stay in your car, that such a furtive bird was walking along in the open.  We got a very good look, albeit through the car windshield, which made photography a non- starter.  Unlike the bird we saw in California, this guy had a raised crest.  Arthur Singer in Birds of North America, draws it both ways, with the crest lying flat, as we saw in Morro Bay or elevated.  Now we had seen both in about a month, albeit 800 miles apart.

   As is my wont, I have created an AI portrait of this green heron.

Sandhill Cranes, Ridgefield September 2026 SKG photo

   We passed a few cars stopped to look at heaven knows what. After the first big corner Sandra spotted a small hawk in the top of a dead tree, which turned out to be a Kestrel.  Not a rare bird, but it was a beautiful look.

   We bypassed the trail to the blind, and made it the Kiwa Tril, where one is encouraged to disembark and watch birds afoot.  On the trail we saw a large family of Wood Ducks.  This was, only a few months ago, an exciting species for us.  However, we have seen them at this refuge almost every time we visit and they have now descended to the realm of dirt bird.  How the mighty are fallen.

   A bit further on we heard some soft drumming on a tree right by the trail.  As we walked forward, Sandra spotted a small woodpecker in a tall alder.  As we looked up, a bird flew out from the trail side tree, possibly an ancient apple, and landed below the other, who flew down, as if to greet, or perhaps chase, and then flew back up.  These were a pair of downy woodpeckers.  Presumably they have reared a brood this last summer and are enjoying the empty nest syndrome, hammering away to their hearts content.

   As we were leaving the trail. we were passed by two ladies who outweighed my sweetie by many a stone.  As they made it to the car park, one said, let's see if the cranes are still there.  Looking over a shoulder or two, I spotted three Sandhill Cranes about a hundred yards away.  To paraphrase Lloyd Christmas, the plump, though slow and prone to lower extremity joint malfunction, can still be excellent birdwatchers.

   Sandra and I watched and photographed this trio for about twenty minutes.  At first they were hunting in the grass, then they took a walk, coming ever closer.  At this point they stopped, tilted their heads back and all three gave that warbling, trumpeting call you associate with cranes.  In the distance we could hear a faint answer, as if there was a group of cranes a mile away. 

Sandhill Cranes Flying in Ridgfield, AI

   At about this point, a flight of eight cranes flew overhead.  Some of them calling, perhaps to our trio, who called back.  Suffice it to say we were in Sandhill Heaven.  

   Eventually the trio of cranes got so close, perhaps only forty yards away, that Sandra was able to get this excellent picture.  The image of the birds flying is pure AI.  If you want, you can make a print and put it in your study.  Ahh, life on a fall day in the PNW.

jeff

Oakland Highlands and Alameda Shoreline August 2026

     On our last full day in Oakland, we all bid Andrew farewell as he headed off to work.  Shawn was taking the day off to spend it with us, so he and I hopped in his car, and we set off for Tilden Park.  Tilden Park, over the ridge from Berkeley, is the spot where I became a birdwatcher back in the summer of 1971.  What a long time ago!  

Nuttall's Woodpecker female, Tilden Park.  2026  AI

    Although he was using the mapping feature, we somehow got lost and stopped to regroup at a trail head about a mile north of Grizzly Peak.  This spot looked as likely as any, so I suggested we take a walk here and see what we could find.  We walked for about half a mile as the warm morning sun filtered through the leaves of eucalyptus and live oaks.  We saw a fair number of people, which wasn't surprising.  Despite being part of Tilden Park, this trail bordered a tony neighborhood. 

     We met couples on a morning constitutional, parents pushing a tram and mountain bikers.  Meanwhile, the bird action was minimal.  A couple times I found a suitable gallery and I pished.  My reward was a single Scrub Jay and a couple brown towhees.  Thin soup, indeed.  

   Eventually we got lucky.   A woodpecker was tapping on a large eucalyptus about twenty feet above our heads.  Finally, we got a look, and it was a Nuttall's female.  I hadn't seen this bird in a gazillion years, and I hadn't studied the forest birds before the trip, but still the old squash was able to plumb its depths and come up with Nuttall's.  Imagine my pride when, back at the car, the bird book validated my identification.  Vanity thy name is Jeffrey.

Gray Hairstreak, Alameda, Ca.  August, 2026 SKG

   You will note that Nuttall's Woodpecker has a ladder back, which easily distinguishes it from the Downy, which is just a little smaller.  And you will note that this bird, being a female, has no red crest.  

   This was about it.  But one good bird is better than none, and it was a very pleasant morning walk.

   Soon we were back for a quick lunch. Shawn stayed home to catch up with life while Sandra and I headed down to the Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary in Alameda.  

    We timed our arrival to correspond with high tide.  Several other birders had the same idea.  We were rewarded with a dozen Black Oystercatchers, which was a bird for the trip,  but something we used to see back north with some regularity.  A chunky black bird with a red pencil for a bill, the oystercatchers stuck around until the tide receded and then flew off.  By the way, I'm pretty sure that despite the name, they have never actually caught an oyster.  Besides the oystercatchers, it was all the same birds we saw a few days before.  So much for high tide.

Acmon's Blue, Alameda, AI

     It was a gorgeous afternoon with little wind as Sandra, and I set out upon the trail south of the refuge.  As we hadn't seen any butterflies a few days before, or at least that's my excuse, we didn't bring a net.  Only a few yards down the trail we found several small butterflies.  I got a good look at a blue, which had orange markings on the dorsal hind wings.  I left Sandra to watch over the flock by night and high tailed it back to the Mazda for a net.  

   Of course, by the time I got back only one butterfly remained and it wasn't blue.  Sandra pointed it out and suggested that I drop the net over the butterfly.  This is sort of like shooting a duck when it is sitting on the water.  Although it sounds less sporting, this method is not foolproof.  Unless the rim of the net sit seamlessly on the ground, the butterfly may find a gap. And escape! Damn butterflies!

   I chose to take a swipe, which is pretty good in this situation, and I had enjoyed a recent success with the buckeye near SLO.  Needless to say, I missed.  All was not lost, however, because in my absence, schmoopie had taken a picture.  It wasn't until we got back to the car and I got a good look that I realized she had taken an excellent picture.  Probably the best picture either of us has taken of a wild butterfly this year.  Don't you love how my sweetie captured those tails?

   A bit further on, we had a great look at an Anise which fluttered around both of us but never landed such that it could be photographed.  And that was about it.  I stuck around the patch of weeds that had harbored the blues, but they never came back.

   Back at the ranch we sent pictures to Daniel Rubinoff and Cait, both of whom replied Gray Hairstreak, which is expectable at this time of year in Northern California in the weeds.  Our consultant, Dr. Rubinoff, noted that it is widely distributed, but a late appearing butterfly, so perhaps we should be looking at the weeds in our own area in the late summer. 

    This might have been the end of the story, but I had been troubled by the blue.  Since he cut his teeth on the Oakland butterflies, I questioned Dr. Rubinoff.  He replied that Acmon's was a good choice, but that he was in Panama for the next two weeks at a field station, so he couldn't give my question the full effort that it deserved.  Other sources note that in California, Acmon's produces several broods and flies into October.  Mid-August is a sweet spot for this gem.  It nectars and lays eggs on buckwheats, deerweed and clovers.  I cobbled together an AI image of an Ammons like the one ai saw for your pleasure. 

A moth from Panama courtesy of Dr. Rubinoff

 

   But for even more pleasure take a gander at the butterfly pics that our hero, D, Rubinoff sent back from Panama!   

Jeff

The Fall Butterflies of Piedmont Park

    We left Chateau Krottje at the break of dawn and made our way through the valley to Salinas around 11 AM.  On the way down to SLO, we had stopped at Foods Co. in Salinas.  Foods Co. is the Kroger affiliate, which makes it the sister ship to Fred Meyers.  Freddie's has long been the grocery shoppers go to place in the Pacific Northwest.  Fred's has good prices, good quality and, like Mega in Mexico, sells almost everything.  Sporting goods, furniture, sundries and, especially, groceries.  

Bienvenidos a Foods Co.

    Do you remember a couple years back when our president discovered the word groceries?  He was like a nine-month-old baby who had suddenly discovered that he has toes.  But I digress.

    The reason we wanted to stop again at this store in Salinas, is that it is nothing like a Fred Meyers.  You can get by with your English at the Foods Co. in Salinas, but just barely.  The help and the customers deal mostly in Espanol.  And many of the products had a Hispanic twist to them, tomatillos, chorizo and queso crema.  But most dramatically, this store sells mostly food.  No furniture, lawn mowers or sporting goods.

    At the deli counter two days before, not realizing the linguistic milieu that we had serendipitously entered, I had a difficult time ordering some lunch meat and then an impossible time finding out where the cream cheese might be.  Sandra needs cream cheese!  The well intentioned, if linguistically challenged, deli lady handed us off to an English speaker and the problem was solved.  However, I love Mexico and I knew I could do better. 

Somewhere South of Salinas...Sandra and Bobbie McGee

   So, before we shopped, I buffed up my Spanish, added a couple key phrases and had a wonderful time ordering ham from the deli lady.  It was only two days later, and I'm certain she recognized me and she was beaming.  Que bueno!  After that I had a nice conversation with a Mexican lady from Michoacan about just what she was going to make with her tomatillos...Salsa!

    We purchased a chub of chorizo, a half-pound of queso for quesadillas, a few of those tomatillos and we were out the door.  Hasta manana. 

    Back out in the parking lot, having enjoyed our trip to Mexico Nuevo, Sandra and I discussed what is arguably her favorite song...Willie Nelson singing that Chris Christofferson favorite, Bobbie McGee.  We were definitely in Salinas and who knew if we would ever be back.  As you may recall, assuming you are a child of the sixties, Bobbie McGee drifts away somewhere south of Salinas.  And so, we reasoned, as there had been statues of the Eagles on the corner in Winslow, Arizona, shouldn't there be a statue of Bobbie McGee in Salinas?  Well, as it turns out, there is not!  It was up to me and my buddy Gemini to correct this injustice.   

Making friends in Piedmont Park

    I don't know about you, but it gives me goose bumps.

   Driving to Piedmont was about as much fun as driving out of it, changing freeways like you would change city streets, but we made it.  Shawn and Andrew were happy to see us and received the Mexican groceries in the spirit in which they were purchased.  

    Andrew had to work (he represents a machine that does something with immunoglobulins (for which he was acknowledged during the Covid scare) but Shawn was able to take the day off and we decided to go to a local park suggested as a butterfly possibility.  

    As it turned out, Piedmont Park is not too far from where Shawn teaches math in the Piedmont middle school.  School had let out shortly before we arrived and the park was crowded with kids.  This being Piedmont, a place where Kamala Harris held a fund raiser hosted by one of Shawn's parents, the kids were all well-groomed and polite.  Mostly.  

The lowly skipper is a chick magnet.  Who knew?

    We walked around the park.  I was carrying a butterfly net, so we fit right in.  Or not.  Before we got to any butterflies, an elderly lady, who was probably about my age, asked us if we were looking for butterflies and told us how she raises milkweed in her yard for monarchs.  So, you see, Lloyd Christmas was right:  Senior citizens, though slow and dangerous behind the wheel, can still serve a useful purpose.

   Soon we started seeing the flowering plants promised by my good buddies at Gemini.   As we walked by a bank of ivy with some white and purple flowers growing here and there, I spotted some skippers.  Skippers are the poor sisters of the lepidopteran universe, but when God gives you skippers you make lemonade.  Is that how it goes?

"You should have used a drone!"

    I crawled up into the ivy bank and made a few unsuccessful swipes at the skippers.  At this point, Shawn pointed out that I was perilously close to a yellow jackets nest.  Indeed, it was easy to spot the little devils going in and out of a hole they had created in the ivy.  To paraphrase my hero, Bilbo Baggins, "If you are catching butterflies near a nest of yellow jackets, it does not do to leave them out of your calculations."

    Since I was having so much success, we gave Shawn a turn.  Let him deal with the yellow jackets.  Eventually I was the one who caught the skipper.  It was a drab little fellow, but it was he who stood between the Dynamic Duo and a skunkaroo.  So, it was with great joy when I successfully transferred our worthy prize to vegetable bag.  Schmoopie would have been so proud.  Right? 

    Now as we walked across the well-groomed lawns of Piedmont Park we had something to show off.  Immediately we encountered a comely Asian lady on a blanket, and she was overjoyed to look at the catch of the day.  Shawn played me up, telling her I was a famous wildlife artist and what not.  She was used to the attention and gave us a winning smile.  Be still my heart.

Umber Skipper, Piedmont Park, August 2026

   Next we encountered three girls in matching blue t-shirts and jeans all standing on a ledge.  They, too, wanted to see our butterfly.  At this point, Shawn reverted to his character, introducing himself as Mr. Barile-Hill.  The girls recognized him as one of the prize teachers (he is a handsome Italian fellow and quick with a joke) The young lady in the middle introduced herself as Dee Dee's sister who had Shawn for math two years previously.   He said something like, "Oh yes, she was very cute and smart." to which the young angel replied, "So am I!  I get it from her."  

   The trio admired our skipper in the bag, and we were soon on our way to the car.  As we approached our chariot, we encountered a chubby young mother.  She had a babe in her arms and a toddler at her feet, astride a scooter.  He was a quick study and wanted a look at our butterfly.  As he held the bug in a bag, he asked how we caught him.  We replied with the net, at which he fixed us with a steely gaze and said, "You should have used a drone!"

    And that ends our butterflying in Piedmont Park.  Daniel Rubinoff, who earned his butterfly wings as a youth in nearby Berkeley, identified the little feller as an Umber Skipper.  Life butterfly.  Tick it off!

jeff

Morro Bay and Beyond

    Leaving Mount Shasta City, Sandra and I took a long drive to Oakland, where we visited with my nephew and then two days later we had another long drive to Los Osos.   Los Osos is a short distance from SLO, formerly known as San Luis Obispo, and a very short drive from Morro Bay on the Central California Coast.  Peter and Marla are good friends, very good biologists and consummate observers of the natural world.  How lucky is a mediocre birdwatcher to have friends like these.

West Coast Lady, Vanesa annabella, Los Osos, August 26 AI

   If southern Oregon was a bit of a disappointment, our time near Morro Bay would be the exact opposite.  As soon as we had our car unloaded, we were ushered out onto the patio.  Marla is a wonderful gardener and has lots of plants blooming, even in August, the better to attract butterflies.  As I approached, Peter said. "Look at the Vanessa."  The butterfly in question actually flew to a small flower right by my feet to reveal himself to be a West Coast Lady.  

    Caitlin promised us both West Coast and American Ladies in the spring and, try as we might, we did not get either.  There is nothing like a failed quest to whet your appetite and so, the West Coast Lady, after the California Sister, was my most sought after butterfly.  I wasn't quick enough to take a picture, so I'm showing you an AI rendition of this handsome bug.  Note the large blue spots on the dorsal hind wing, which were perfectly visible as I looked down on this beauty.

Green Heron, Morro Bay, AI

   Almost simultaneously, Marla spotted a blue a few feet away.  Apparently, we don't net butterflies in the Krottje Sanctuary, and no one was quick enough to get a look at the wings, so this guy remains un-named.

   After a cool glass of water, it was decided we would go down to the local refuge, which is only a mile or so from their home.  The four of us walked down a good trail to the wet meadow facing Morro Bay.  Here we saw mallards and Green Winged Teal and a large congregation of Greater Yellowlegs.  And there was another couple birding the same spot.  Marla quickly made friends and the lady of the duo asked if we had seen the little green heron.  Well, none of us had and so she directed us up to a shallow pond close by.  

    It was a stroll of about fifty yards, and we quickly spotted the small heron.  He was standing knee deep in the dark water under the branches of an over hanging willow.  Peter, the excellent photographer, started snapping away.  While we watched, the heron deftly caught a small fish, and it was down the hatch.  I hope you will look for Peter's blog onebreathkohala, where there are lots of wonderful pictures, possibly including this heron with his fish dinner.  

Sea Otters Relaxing in Morro Bay, August 2026,  AI enhanced

    I'm not such a good photographer.  Sandra got a pretty good picture of the Green Heron,  and I made an AI image which I'm sharing here.

    The following morning we headed out for a day of nature observations.  The first stop was on the north edge of Morro Bay, where we found a bevy of sea otters.  We were observing from a rocky prominence that had been turned into a park, with good footing thirty feet above the water.    There were seven otters congregated in a group about forty yards away.  What a great look!

    We watched the otters for a bit, waiting for something to happen.  Maybe one of them would commence hammering a clam balanced on his chest with a stone.  But mostly they were just chilling out, enjoying the peaceful morning.  The water was glassy, and Peter noted that it would be a good morning for kayaking.  No wind makes of a good paddle.

Elegant Tern, Cayucos Pier, AI enhanced

   Our next stop was Cayucos, a seaside town just up the coast.  We drove past numerous beachside lodgings and through a small, quaint commercial district, ending up at the community fishing pier.  This would be one of two substantial piers we would encounter this day.  Peter and Marla had heard of a Black Tern among the myriad Elegant Terns and had seen it on two occasions.  The Black Tern is a rare bird on the west coast, but not uncommon on the east coast where, in a much earlier phase of my bird watching career, I had ticked it off.  This was lucky, because this individual had flown the coop.

    Our host explained that the horde of gulls, terns and pelicans were attracted by in shore anchovies.  We watched for half an hour as the terns and pelicans plummeted into the water, sometimes reappearing with a small fish.  As we were thirty feet above the water, the terns were just about on our level.  They would careen by, sometimes begin their steep descent just ten yards away. 

   At one point a pelican came and perched on the railing.  All us humans gave him some space and he remained for several minutes, the perfect seaside model for amateur nature photographers. 

A juvenile Pelican posing on the pier.

    As you can see, this is a juvenile pelican, without the handsome coloration of a breeding bird.  He is still quite good looking and carries that wise visage of a bird the size of a turkey that dives from great heights headlong into the water to earn his daily bread.  It's crazy enough when the terns do it, but how do the large pelicans survive the impact with the sea, much less retain the capacity to scoop up a beak full of anchovies?

    From Cayucos we rejoined the coast highway and made our way to one of Marla's secret spots.  Harmony, population 15, is a secret butterfly spot but thrives as a destination for tourists in search of knick- knacks.  There is even a wine operation that relies on the tourist trade to sell some palatable, if not spectacular, grape juice.  And in between the weathered buildings that have been rejuvenated for the purpose of merchandising, there are flower gardens.  On occasion our hosts have encountered a worthy butterfly here.  

    Unfortunately, that was not the case on this warm morning. We saw Scrub Jays, Vultures and House Finches in the bushes on the edge of the village.  Thin gruel here for the avid observer of wild animals. We did enjoy a look around an old cabin that was now selling a variety of toys and glass.

Slumbering Giants.  Elephant Seals at San Simeon.

    The next stop promised to be spectacular.  Peter navigated us to the elephant seal resting area just north of the Hearst Castle.  Hearst didn't actually build a castle, but rather a sprawling mansion that dominates the skyline out in this rolling, dry country.  

    There was a massive parking lot associated with the elephant seals.  At this time of year they are not breeding, so we did not get to see these massive pinnipeds engage in any sort of combat.  In the fall they come ashore to molt and what we saw was a number of very large seals flopped on the beach.  The males could be identified by their large noses.  During breeding season, they inflate their proboscis and this is what we remember from wildlife shows on the television.  At this time of year the noses are deflated.  Still, they made quite a sight.

    We had lunch at San Simeon, ordering incredible sandwiches from Sebastian's General Store.  I had tri tip beef, Sandra had turkey and Peter and Marla shared a shrimp.  We all had scrumptious leftovers.  The greeter at Sebastián's turned us on to a pair of juvenile humpback whales in San Simeon cove.  We were able to walk out on another serious fishing pier and see one of the whales feeding.

    This was turning into quite a day, but we had one more stop.  At Harmony Headlands State Park Peter was hoping for snakes.  He didn't find any, but Marla pointed out a Gray Buckeye in the weeds by the trail, and yours truly netted him with a single swipe.  As you will see in the next blog, episodes like this can lead to an overdeveloped self-confidence and impending disaster.  

     We took this victim back to the house, where after a well-deserved nap, Sandra and I took our cooled butterfly into the garden and got this nice photo.  A pretty good end to very interesting day on the Central California Coast.  

jeff

Our editor insisted that we include her picture of the Hearst Castle..photo SKG

   

     

Southern Oregon and Mount Shasta August 26

    This week Sandra and I made a pilgrimage to Oakland to visit my nephews, and onward to Morro Bay to visit our good friends Peter and Marla.  This divided up the trip into a few discrete sections, and I will be submitting a few blogs to cover out adventure.

   Following a four hour drive from Portland down to Grants Pass, we got off the interstate and drove down a slow road that, after about fifteen miles, hugged the Rogue River.  This area was supposed to be extremely scenic.  In August it was hot and dry with the Rogue descending between rocky shores.  We had left early and got to an unimproved boat launch with wet sand a little after noon.  This should have been prime time for butterflies.  

Sylvan Skipper, Grants Pass, August 2026 AI

    We saw a few small white butterflies that we took for Cabbages and a single Tiger Swallowtail.  There was nothing puddling on the riverbank.  Rumor has it that if you were in this spot in early May, it would be swarming with California Sisters.  On this hot day a guide fixing a young couple up with a kayak provided the only diversion.  We drove another fifteen miles down the river, found one more boat launch and no butterflies or birds of note.  

    At 2 PM we checked into the Holiday Inn Express in Grants Pass.  As I was unloading the car, standing in the blessed shade of a flowering cherry that must have received a substantial amount of life-giving irrigation, I came face to face with a small withe butterfly with remarkable fringes on the trailing edge of both wings and a hint of tails. As we sat in the lobby waiting to be checked in, I checked out Cait's guidebook and discovered that this was a Sylvan Hairstreak.  I went back out into the furnace and tried for a picture.  I saw two more small butterflies among the blossoms, but they were far up in the tree. 

Mount Shasta from 6,600 feet, August 2026

     I am including an AI recreation of this sighting.  As you can see, with the fringe, the tails and that orange spot on the hind wing, it is a pretty remarkable little butterfly.

    In the evening we made it down to the Rogue as it meanders through Grants Pass.  There was one Tiger Swallowtail and a few locals swimming in the stream which I felt to be about 65 degrees.

    You might think that this was all this stop might offer, but as is so often the case, the people you encounter are at least as interesting as the wildlife.  

    In the morning we repaired to the breakfast room to be greeted by the most raucous scene you could imagine.  There were about a dozen young women hollering and laughing, as if they had just closed down the Dew Drop Inn and were continuing the festivities at breakfast.  As it turned out, this contingent was a lesbian motorcycle club.  Who knew that there was even such a thing.

    That day we had a short drive to Mount Shasta.  Google AI had promised us a wet meadow fed by a glacier, with wildflowers in the middle of August and butterflies galore.  One needs to be wary of AI...it tends to tell you what it thinks you want to hear.  Mount Shasta was dry, even at 8,200 feet.  There was the merest suggestion of a glacier, no wet meadow and no butterflies at Panther Creek.  This must be a popular spot, however, because we saw no fewer than five signs admonishing the bereaved not to spread ashes in this area.  The authorities called them Cremains.  Lesbian bike gangs and cremains.  What a trip!

    As we descended, we came upon an area with some goldenrod, a few fast-flying California tortoiseshells and a few woodland skippers.  That was as good as it would get.

     This may be one of the dreariest blogs I have written, but it sets the stage for more adventures, so I beg you to bear with me'

jeff

Ridgefield NWR in Summer

     With Oregon in the throes of horrific forest fires, more than one threatening our favorite butterfly locations, Sandra and I turned our attention to a local favorite, the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge.  We arrived at the refuge at about 10 AM.  The sky was blue, which is a heck of a lot better than smoky and the temperature was a pleasant 65 degrees.  That is great for birds and people with light jackets but may be a trifle brisks for butterflies. 

Wild and Crazy Great Blue Heron, photo SKG

     As we previously noted, the refuge has numerous shallow ponds for waterfowl and waders that provide a roadside attraction in the spring.  However, by the time June rolled around those ponds had dried and it was more work to see fewer species. 

    As we approached the refuge, we were slowed by a lady taking a picture of a Great Blue Heron perched on the railing of the bridge we cross to get in.  As we started our tour through the refuge, Sandra got this picture of a wild and crazy heron from the car.

    For some time, as we made the drive, there were patches of tall grass, but mostly expanses of dried lake beds with little to offer the bird watcher.  

   We finally made it to the trail and to the blind, which was so productive in the spring.  On the way in, we had a very good look at a Western Wood Peewee.  This bird has a name that might produce a few minutes of amusement to six-year-old boy, but not too much else to recommend it. Small, brownish, with a lighter belly, no eye ring and dusky wing bars,   Aside from voice and habits, like tail raising, that is how we identify small flycatchers.

         A Black Headed Grosbeak female with breakfast.  AI

 In the blind, we saw a mother swallow come to feed her single remaining chick.  The water around the blind had been replaced by grass and there were no Black Phoebes or Virginia Rails.  On the trail back to the car, I spotted a pair of house wrens.  Wrens are more interesting than Song Sparrows, which was the only other birds we saw along the trail.  

   We drove a bit further and were pleased to note that the Kiwa Trail was now open.  This is one of only two spots where you are encouraged to get out of your car and walk through the forest.  The trail had been closed through the spring and early summer, ostensibly to protect breeding birds.  If you are a birdwatcher, you know that spring and early summer are exactly the time you go out looking for song birds.  That is when the males are singing from exposed perches and parents are moving around, gathering food for the chicks. 

    I suppose that I'm all in favor of protecting breeding birds.  To take the opposing position would be like affirming your belief in child abuse.  Which I'm definitely against.  But as a bird watcher, it seems excessively counter productive.  I mean, what are we?  Blood thirsty pirates on a rampage to rob nests?

Common Jewelweed, Ridgefield NWR, August 2026 

    We parked in the lot designated for the Kiwa Trail.  The trail head is defended by a really sturdy gate, the better to protect breeding birds.  We passed these forbidding portals and found ourselves on a well-maintained trail through small parcels of forest, ponds and fields.  Imagine all the birds singing in late May.  In early August it was pretty quiet,  

   The sun was out, and it was getting warmer.  We walked ahead for about fifty yards when I spotted a large sparrow in an alder beside one of those ponds.  We got good looks through binoculars at a female Black Headed Grosbeak feeding on blackberries.  The vine wound up through the alder twenty feet above the pond. I had been feeding on blackberries just moments before, so I had a lot of empathy for the grosbeak.  As every boy who lives in southwest Washington knows, blackberries in August are delicious.  

    In honor of the best bird Sandra and saw on this outing, I created an AI image so you could revel vicariously through our experience.  Gemini and I had a dispute about how much yellow is in the belly and eyeline of a female Black Headed Grosbeak. (Gemini wanted more yellow.) The first image Gemini threw out was probably the most realistic looking, but I insisted on getting the colors right and I hope you still enjoy the picture.  

    And I hope you are able to get out this summer and enjoy some blackberries. 

    Luther Burbank, back in 1885, imported some seeds from India.  Inside the packet was a living sprout of what we now call Himalayan Blackberry.  Although this plant originated in the Levant and grows all over Europe, this famed agronomist, in his Santa Rosa garden, seems to have been unacquainted with it and assumed it came from northern India.  Hence the name and berry that we all know and love.   Unless, that is, the thorny vines have taken over your back yard, in which case you may not love them quite so much.   

    Back by the pond, right beside my perch, my eye was captured by a single orange blossom.  As I looked carefully, I saw that this flower was cup shaped with frilly petals at the opening and subtle purple dots inside the cup.  It was delightful and we have a chance to share our photo of Common Jewelweed.  This plant is native to the eastern US.  It has spread sporadically across the country, so it is much less common than Burbank's Folly.  It produces these lovely orange cups in the summer, as opposed to the spring.  It grows in shady moist soils.   Perfect for Ridgefield NWR.  

Woodland Skipper, Ridgefield NWR

    As we got ready to head back down the trail, Sandra spotted a small orange skipper, then we saw a bunch.  Being a veritable Nimrod, it was hardly a moment before she had one in her net.  With one in the bag, it wasn't long before we had a chance to take a picture of one of the skippers on a low lying thistle.  Here you see the photo we took back at the laboratory of this Woodland Skipper. The only other butterfly on the day was a Western Tiger Swallowtail.  So not much for butterflies.

    On our way out we saw veritable legions of Common Egrets.  This bird has always been around, but if you saw one or two on morning of birding, you felt like you had done well.  And what are all these tall white birds eating?  Small fish, unfortunate frogs.  Kermit beware!  

jeff
 

Dougan Falls and the Great Spangled Fritillary

       Last Friday Sandra and I made the drive up to Dougan Falls.   The Washougal is not nearly as full as it is earlier in the year, but as we shall see, there is still plenty of water going over Naked Falls.  As is our custom, at Dougan Falls we made the right turn, heading up the Washougal.  We drove the three bumpy miles on gravel and stopped at our best butterfly spot, the weedy car park.  It was still early and although there were lots of wildflowers, which was a pleasant surprise for the last day ii July, there were no butterflies out yet.  

Woodland Skipper, Naked Falls, July 2026

   We made it up to Scout Creek, a couple miles and another three hundred vertical feet higher, and, as the morning warmed up, we watched a few butterflies there.  Scout Creek was now completely dry.  There were a few thistles in the dry river bed that did not attract any insects while I watched.  Right by where we park the car, Sandra captured a Woodland Skipper. 

    This is the common skipper at this time of year, and we saw lots of them. When they lie flat on a thimbleberry leaf, or what counts for flat in this family of skippers, you can easily appreciate the orange and dark chocolate dorsal wing pattern.  The picture I'm showing you, taken back at the ranch is a lateral, showing the ventral wing pattern, which is not very pretty.  Of course, pretty is in short supply in most species of skippers. 

    Before we left, I chased a medium sized butterfly up the road without getting a very good look and we enjoyed some late season Parnassians flopping about as they will.

Great Spangled Frit, Naked Falls, July 2026 

    Back down at the weedy car park, it was now close to 11 AM and things were warming up.  Just sitting in the car, we could see several larger orange butterflies zipping back and forth among the wildflowers.  It was fairly easy for me to catch one of these Great Spangled Fritillaries as it nectared on one of many thistles.  We got a fine look at it in the net...the silver spots on the ventral hind wing were dramatic.  Unfortunately, when we got it home, the silveriness had faded and, as you can see, those spots look white.  Quelle domage!

    I got a pretty nice picture of a great spangled spread out in the weeds.  t

The few times I tried to sneak up on one on a thimbleberry leaf (a much prettier picture), he flew away before I could snap the shutter.

   We are told that most cell phones do not have an actual shutter.  Behind the lens, there is a digital sensor that is continually receiving the image.  When you touch the shutter button, the camera is instructed to start and stop recording the light data.  It records the image really fast in rows of pixels from top to bottom.  I like to program my phone camera to simultaneously emit a shutter-like noise.  As we have seen, this is nothing but an aesthetic sound effect...there is no shutter.

  For scientific purposes the pictures we took back in the laboratory are vastly superior.  Here you see a dorsal picture of this brave fellow stretched out on Schmoopie's lovely hand.  

    We took several pictures of him in the lateral position.  By touching him just so, my lovely assistant was able to induce our friend to rotate his front wing forward and spread them just a bit to create this wonderfully handsome and useful image you see here.  Getting a look at the entire front wing is a bit of a trick.  

    And for completeness sake, I'm including our best photo of him in the lateral position showing off the pattern on the ventral hind wing.  As above, most of the spots that appear white in this photograph were quite silvery when the butterfly was first captured.  There are a select few who are able to squeeze the abdomen just so, impeding the flow of butterfly blood back to the thorax, rendering the butterfly more cooperative for a picture in the field.  My lovely assistant is unwilling to squeeze the butterfly (and who can blame her!).  And we just don't know if, in the process of impeding blood flow one would cause those silvery spots to blanche.  

    Regardless, what you see is what you get.

    The day was moving along.  There were plenty of Woodland Skippers and a few Clodius Parnassians flapping their large white wings.  Sandra had retired to the air conditioned comfort of the faithful Mazda, and I was still out trying for one more butterfly.

    On the far side of the car park, where the thistles were attracting the great spangles to a remarkable effect (there were now five chasing one another to and fro), there were other wildflowers. Fireweed, of course, with its tall violet blooms.  And another wildflower that we hadn't seen before.  This was an herb on long, branching stems.  There were relatively small white, daisy-like blossoms with yellow centers on each stem.  

    As I watched, a larger blue butterfly landed on one of these flowers.  I was pretty close, armed only with my net...no camera.  He was just far enough in, about six feet, that I couldn't reach him.  He flitted to another blossom a few feet away, still out of reach.  All this time I was getting good looks but no bug.  Back at the ranch, I attempted to name the butterfly and this new wildflower.    The butterfly was clearly in the Lupin/Acmon family.  Without the insect in hand, it would be impossible to tell which. 

A Buckwheat Blue on Oxeye Daisy AI

    The flower grew in large groupings.  The stems were about three feet in height and branching.  The flowers were about an inch across, white petals with yellow orange centers.  I originally thought this might be chamomile, which is introduced, and grows wild in the Pacific Northwest.  However, after some research on AI and in Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest, by Turner and Gustafson, a field guide that Sandra has recently collected and I may now recommend, I decided that this was Oxeye Daisy.  It's a common herbaceous plant in the late spring and summer in Oregon and Washington and a known source for nectaring butterflies.

   Here I present the image I created of the Epothilones blue butterfly on the Oxeye Daisy.  It's totally AI and so useless for the purposes of identification.  Maybe we should print it and sell it on Etsy. 

    The drive out was an eye opener.  We must have seen thirty cars parked along the Washougal, with countless people prepared to make the hike down the steep bank, many carrying those large inner tubes that are all the rage.  And we met about two dozen more cars driving in.  And this was about noon on a Friday.  The Dougan Falls area is hoppin'.

    Lastly, I'm leaving you with a snapshot Sandra took through the car window while doing her crossword puzzle, in air-conditioned comfort:  Demented Lepidopterist Rampant!

Jeff