Wednesday the weather was partly cloudy in the morning becoming overcast in the afternoon with moderate winds to 25 mph. Temperatures were in the 40s to low 50s. Wind protective clothing and an extra sweater or light coat were needed to stay warm when standing still.
This list includes plants and animals observed March 15 during a hike of Columbia Hills State Park from the Crawford Oaks Trailhead and the northwest corner of the state park on March 12.
Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum - Leaves only.
* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica
Heartleaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum
Douglas' Buckwheat: Eriogonum sphaerocephalum var. sublineare
* Western Spring Beauty: Claytonia lanceolata - Beginning to bloom.
Bitterroot: Lewisia rediviva - Basal leaves present.
Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum - Basal leaves present
* Obscure Buttercup, The Dalles Mt. Buttercup: Ranunculus triternatus
* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna - Very numerous.
* Smooth Prairie Stars: Lithophragma glabrum
* Woollypod Milkvetch: Astragalus purshii - A few plants in bloom.
Small-flowered Lupine: Lupinus latifolius X sericeus (Synonym: Lupinus latifolius var. thompsonianus) - Leaves emerging from the ground.
Velvet Lupine: Lupinus leucophyllus x sericeus (Synonym: Lupinus Leucophyllus var. ? in Washington, Lupinus sericeus in Russ Jolley's book on Gorge wildflowers.) - Dried remains of last years plants seen. This blooms in both spring and fall.
Bighead Clover: Trifolium macrocephalum - Basal leaves only.
* Filaree: Erodium cicutarium
* Canby's Desert Parsley: Lomatium canbyi - Fading out of bloom.
* Pungent Desert Parsley: Lomatium papilioniferum
* Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum - Beginning to bloom.
* Bare-stem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule - Beginning to bloom above the Crawford Oaks trailhead at Columbia Hills State Park.
* Salt and Pepper: Lomatium piperi - Beginning to fade out of bloom.
* Nine-leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum - Beginning to bloom at lower elevations.
* Desert Shooting Star: Dodecatheon conjugens - Beginning to bloom above the Crawford Oaks trailhead at Columbia Hills State Park.
Columbia Frasera: Frasera albicaulis var. nitida - Basal leaves only.
* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis - A few small plants were seen in bloom.
Hood's Phlox: Phlox hoodii
Ballhead Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii - A few plants with flower buds along lower Eightmile Creek.
Harsh Paintbrush: Castilleja hispida var. acuta - Purplish stems arising from the ground.
* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora
* Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza deltoidea x careyana - Beginning to bloom along trails above the Crawford Oaks trailhead of Columbia Hills State Park.
* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule - Fairly numerous.
False Agoseris: Nothocalais troximoides - Numerous basal leaves.
Animals Seen Along This Route Today:
California Ground Squirrels
Yellow-bellied Marmots
Immature Bald Eagle
Turkey Vultures
Rough-legged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawks
Ravens
Northern Flickers
Lewis' Woodpeckers
Stellers Jays
Scrub Jays
Western Meadowlarks
Spotted Towhees
American Robins
Western Bluebirds
Dark-eyed Juncos
Violet-green Swallows
The Uncle (small, colorful moth) - Numerous
Domestic honey bees