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Yellow-headed Blackbird

April 30, 2013
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I love the scientific name of the Yellow-headed Blackbird: Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus. There’s just something about the sound and feel of it. And I like the repetition. The word means “yellow head.” A no-nonsense name, for sure. In addition to their…

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Early-blooming Wildflower: Grass Widow

March 11, 2013
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I recently made it out to Catherine Creek in the Columbia River Gorge. My mission was to find Grass Widows (Olsynium douglasii) and find them I did. Check out the video…

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Beautiful Time-lapse Imagery of Pacific Northwest Landscapes

September 27, 2012

John Ecklund took about 260,000 photos to create this mind-blowing time-lapse movie. Several iconic landscapes of the northwest are featured, including Mt. Shuksan and Mount St. Helens in Washington and Crater Lake, Mt. Bachelor, The Oregon Badlands, The Painted Hills, Cape Kiwanda, Mt. Hood, Lost lake, and Cannon Beach in Oregon. Enjoy!

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How to Tell the Difference Between a Chipmunk and a Ground Squirrel

September 1, 2012
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In the Cascades Range of Washington and Oregon, and to the east of these mountains, you are likely to encounter one or more species of energetic, small-ish, diurnal rodents. My guess is that most people would point to any one of these rodents– at least one of the stripey species– and call it a ‘chipmunk.’ There are indeed several chipmunk species in…

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Upland Larkspur – Delphinium nuttallianum

August 25, 2012
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A handful of Larkspur species (all in the genus Delphinium) are native to the Pacific Northwest. The ones I’ve seen all have purple or blue flowers. A hollow, tube-like spur juts out the back of a Larkspur flower. The spur contains nectar that entices bumblebee and hummingbird…

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The Painted Hills

August 14, 2012
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The Painted Hills of north-central Oregon belong on anyone’s short list of must-see landscapes in the Pacific Northwest. Hidden in a remote of valley of the Ochoco Mountains, the Painted Hills are far from any major urban centers. For most of us, it’s a long drive to reach them. But the trip is worth it if you have any interest in geology, fossils, or…

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Columbia Desert Parsley

April 17, 2012
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Columbia Desert Parsley (Lomatium columbianum) is a spectacular plant that is endemic to Washingon and Oregon. It is perennial and grows on open slopes in the eastern Columbia Gorge area. Although the overall range of this plant is small, it is fairly common within its range. It grows…

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