Gilliam County December 2013

December 19, 2013 • 2 Comments

This year marks the 114th Christmas Bird Count, the longest running citizen science project on earth.

The orange sphere in the middle of the map below represents the 176.7 square miles contained within Gilliam County's Christmas Bird Count Circle. It's centered approximately 7.5 miles due s.e. of Condon, the county seat incorporated in 1893. The originally scheduled date of this first CBC for the county was 17 December 2013. Unfortunately that had to be rescheduled - but since I was already set to be in the area on the 17th, I decided to go ahead and take the opportunity to familiarize myself with the county just the same.

Darrell Faxon, the compiler of this Christmas Bird Count ("CBC"), divided the circle into thirds. Each part designated in the map below by a colored marker. Blue, Red, and Green for Sections 1, 2, and 3 respectively. The dark gray line in lower left quadrant of the circle represents an alternative, expanded, boundary line for Section 1 that is to be used if too few people show up to adequately cover the entire circle.

As an aside - while reading about Gilliam county in preparation for this CBC, I came across the names of a number of notable people associated with Condon, Oregon:

Jay Bowerman, 13th governor of Oregon and father of track coach Bill Bowerman - moved to Condon in 1899

John Burns, Oregon Senate President from 1971 to 1973 - born in Condon

Robert R. Butler, U.S. representative from Oregon - served as mayor of Condon, then appointed as U.S. circuit judge

Terry Cooney, Major League Baseball umpire - born in Condon

William Parry Murphy, Nobel laureate (1934 Medicine) - graduated from Gilliam County High School in 1910

Linus Pauling, Nobel laureate (1954 Chemistry and 1962 Peace) - parents met at a dinner party in Condon

Earl Snell, 23rd governor of Oregon - born in the county and settled in Condon

The 17 species I was able to locate during this visit (in roughly the order they were encountered) include AMERICAN KESTREL, BEWICK'S WREN, NORTHERN HARRIER, COMMON RAVEN, EUROPEAN STARLING, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE, MORNING DOVE, EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE, RED-TAILED HAWK, DARK-EYED JUNCO, SONG SPARROW, TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, RED-SHAFTED NORTHERN FLICKER, WESTERN MEADOWLARK, juvenile NORTHERN SHRIKE, and BELTED KINGFISHER.

My favorite images from this visit are short on birds and long on scenery. I hope the series gives you a sense of the wonderful nature in the county, and to sign-up for this year's CBC! Click here to email Darrel Faxon

Looking east across the John Day River, near the small unincorporated community of Clarno. The view into Gilliam County is blocked by the high ridge on the left side of the photo:

Hwy 19 - looking north shortly after crossing into the county:

My first species for Gilliam County - AMERICAN KESTREL:

The best part about the next bird is that it responded to my imitation of the Northern Pygmy Owl. Steve Shunk inspired me to learn the call during the 2012 Sisters' CBC. This was the first time it worked for me! The bird pictured below came storming out of the brush to drive away the threat - Bewick's Wren:

Northern Harrier:

The species pictured below caused me great, but well-deserved, embarrassment. The backstory is the week before the first scheduled date of this CBC, a Gyrfalcon was found in the area by Paul Sullivan & Carol Karlen while running the Gilliam County south raptor route. So for the week prior to my arrival I dreamt of locating this uncommonly encountered visitor to Oregon. I missed the same species the year before in Wallow County; as a result, I was fully prepared to make a fool of myself by turning the first grayish-colored raptor I found into my target species. I wrote to Paul about my mistaken identity and said "I came looking for the Gyr, rather than just looking - bad idea". Nevertheless, I am grateful for a few great views of this beautiful species. I hope you enjoy the images below of the ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK:

Cautious Mule Dear:

The historic Trail Fork School House located along Thirtymile Creek:

Mt. Hood as seen from Trail Fork Road downhill, a turn or two, from the school house:

Looking n.w. from about the center of the count circle - Mt. Hood on the left, Condon on the right:

Juvenile Northern Shrike:

I have mixed feelings about this shot of Mt. Adams:

Pronghorn Antelope:

An old homestead at the bottom of Hay Canyon (45.471110, -120.311384) - signs warn of extreme danger of driving through this very deep and narrow canyon between November and March because the road is not maintained. My reward for entering was a Belted Kingfisher that emerged from the creek as I was taking the picture below. It was the last species I found in the county. Would you have picked the bottom of this canyon as the place to call home: