[Alan Bauer]

I had hints of spring two weeks ago exploring around the Hanford Reach National Monument area...the birds were teasing me, the flowers were growing with a stray bloomer here and there. Today I don't even remember my drive home from the Pasco area after enjoying a 67 degree day in the sun...in the wind...dancing with the wildflowers that are beginning to perform. McNary National Wildlife Refuge was a mega-mix of late wintering waterfowl and new spring activity. While I enjoyed the tundra swans (over 30 of them!!) and other waterfowl, I saw two pairs of flickers nest building and what I'm certain was an early yellow-headed blackbird hanging out at the far end of Burbank Slough. Along for the ride also were Northern harriers, bald eagles, killdeer, pheasents, quail, one male bobwhite, and dozens of white-crowned sparrows. The Northern shovlers were really bright colored today. Oh, and about 10,000 Mallards and 2,000 Canada geese. I flushed up a pair of sharp-shinned hawks in the Wallula Wildlife Management Unit of the McNary NWR and they briefly landed on a large old-growth sage plant not 10 feet from me! I didn't even try to photo them as I had to remain still just to see them..and they were then gone. Don't believe me that flowers were blooming? Twin Sisters rocks at Wallula Gap south of the Walla Walla River delta was proof! See for yourselves...and I'll be back over to Juniper Dunes Wilderness in 2-3 weeks for a long day of roaming aimlessly in the sand Oh, I also know spring is in full swing by the count of 'ol fishermen everywhere looking all stary-eyed and jittery!

[Quark]

Alan, not that I'm jealous or anything, but.......when's the last time I told you that I hate your guts? Two weeks? Three? Wellsir, in either case, thats about 1.5 weeks too long. So here's a double "I hate your guts!" There. That ought to tide you over until next time. What about the hedgies Whiskey Dick? Ya think they'll bloom early this year?

[Alan Bauer]

Hey there Quark--yeah, it's been almost two full weeks since you told me you hated my guts for gettin' to the east side while you slave over taxes or school or some other excuse of the week. You're slacking! Hegies I bet will bloom by late April this year--especially in the Beezley Hills where it's lower elevation and warmer generally than up on the ridges by Whiskey Dick. Oh, Selah Butte will bloom even earlier than that as even last year they were almost blooming by April 24th!

[Mike Collins]

Alan...A male Bobwhite seems to be unusual. The McNary NWR website does not even list the Bobwhite amoung the rare Gallinaceous visitors to their area. To my knowledge the Christmas Bird Count did not locate a Bobwhite in Washington. Did you see or hear the call? The call would be almost as definitive. Has it been introduced to that area? In the SW a female Montezuma Quail can look like a male Bobwhite but we are far from there.

[Alan Bauer]

It was a bobwhite by a farm south of Pasco...absolutely an introduced bird that had gotten away from somewhere. It was lost, confused, and running around at the edge of the road.

[An Observer]

Alan, I have read through Harvey Manning's '55 hikes in Central Washington.' So many options! We would like to spend two days in April over there. What are your suggestions? Any overnight places you can recommend ? Thanks.

[wedgie]

What is a Hedgie?

[Alan Bauer]

Hedgie = Hedgehog Cactus

[polarbear-]

Nice pictures. Do we have any other varieties of cactus around here?

[Alan Bauer]

We have prickly pear cactus as our second other species. It can be found along the Yakima Rim area in the northern sections off of Durr Road access as one example. It doesn't grow near the size as those in the southwest, but still has pretty yellow flowers!

[JimK]

Alan, Speaking of the north end of the Yakima Rim trail, is this a prickly pear? I was a little late for the flower. If you time it right that is a really nice Spring flower hike.

Cactus

[Mike Collins]

Prickly Pear is also found on some of the islands in Puget Sound.

[Alan Bauer]

Jim, It's hard to tell really but my first reaction to your photo is that it is hedgehog cactus after it is done blooming. Not only the rounded shape of the cactus in whole, but also the pattern of the "bumps" perfectly around it. That's my guess anyhow! Mike: That's neat about the prickly pear. I didn't know that.

[Alan Bauer]

An Observer: Too many places to list here. If you want to backpack in for an overnight trip you can always do the old standby trips to Ancient Lakes, Umtanum Creek Canyon, Yakima Skyline Rim from the north (pack in water unless you camp by Roza Creek or something). But there are so many more places too: hike 25 miles of the Iron Horse / John Wayne trail (old RR grade) and stay out 12 miles from the car overnight. Hike up Chelan Butte and hide yourself in some gully overnight to watch the stars. Roam down a few miles through Douglas Creek Canyon and camp and then explore more on the side. Wander aimlessly in the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge. The list goes on and on and on.... Personally for this type of exploring if I had a night out I would car camp it and allow myself to hit 2-3 hikes in different locations each of the two days. It offers you the chance to stay out until dark but have a nice place to call home for the night, then up again the next day to head out and hit 2-3 more places "on the way home". A favorite place to do this for me is using Steamboat Rock State Park as base. Day one after getting there you can hike up Steamboat Rock and roam for 2-3 hours on top, then back down and have time to hike up Northrup Canyon. Next day you can hit a slew of stuff in and out of Sun Lakes State Park on the way home (Umatilla Rock/Monument Coulee, Trail Lake Coulee, Billy Clapp Lake, over a dozen hikes here alone to be enjoyed in this central Grand Coulee country area). Finish your second day with an awesome burger in Ephrata or somewhere, and drive home thinking about how good life is.