[Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge: 2016]

Wildflowers Currently in Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

Canyon Creek South Loop Trail

Klickitat State Wildlife Recreation Area (from the Glenwood-Goldendale Highway)

March 26, 2016

Unidentified buttercup from the Klickitat Wildlife Area........March 21, 2014.

A view of a mystery buttercup seen in the Klickitat Wildlife Recreation Area. A few plants are similar in appearance to obscure buttercup (Ranunculus tridentatus), but most seem to be intermediate in form between the latter species and the sagebrush buttercup (Ranunculus glaberrimus).

Today the weather was in the mid 40s in the morning to mid 50s by afternoon with mostly sunny skies and just a faint breeze. Clouds began to build in as a new front approached in the late afternoon.

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana var. garryana

Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides

Bulbous Blue Grass: Poa bulbosa

* Leiberg's Blue Grass: Poa leibergii

Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegneria spicata

* Scilla-like Onion: Allium scilloides

* Pale-anther Glacier Lily: Erythronium grandiflorum var. pallidum

* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica

Panicled Death Camas: Toxicoscordion paniculatum

* Grass Widows: Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii

Rein Orchid: Platanthera sp.

Heartleaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

Red Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia rubra (ssp. rubra ?) - In bud.

Water Chickweed: Montia fontana ? - In bud.

* Line-leaf Montia: Montia linearis - Beginning to bloom.

Meadow Larkspur: Delphinium distichum - Numerous leaves along vernal streams.

* Unidentified Buttercup: Ranunculus sp. or perhaps a cross with Ranunculus glaberrimus? - The photos shown from this link show this buttercup as seen at this location as well as comparisons to both the obscure buttercup and sagebrush buttercup.

Creeping Oregon Grape: Berberis repens

* Oaks Toothwort: Cardamine nuttallii

* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna - Numerous.

* Bulblet Prairie Star: Lithophragma glabrum (Synonym: Lithophragma bulbifera) - Bulblet form.

* Smooth Prairie Star: Lithophragma glabrum

* Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflorum - Beginning to bloom.

* Clayton's Saxifrage, Northwestern Saxifrage: Micranthes fragosa - Beginning to bloom.

Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia var. ? - In bud.

Hood River Milkvetch: Astragalus hoodianus - Numerous mounds of leaves emerging from the ground.

Common Broad-leaf Lupine: Lupinus latifolius var. latifolius - Leaves emerging from the ground.

Bighead Clover: Trifolium macrocephalum - Leaves only.

Wild Geranium: Geranium viscosissimum var. incisum - Basal leaves.

Marsh Mallow: Sidalcea oregana var. oregana - Basal leaves.

Mahala Mat: Ceanothus prostratus

Upland Yellow Violet: Viola nuttallii ssp. praemorsa - Basal leaves only.

* Cutleaf Violet: Viola sheltonii

* Sagebrush Violet: Viola trinervata - Beginning to bloom.

* Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum

* Klickitat (Pungent) Desert Parsley: Lomatium klickitatense

* Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum - Yellow-flowered form.

* Barestem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule - Beginning to bloom.

* Butterfly-loving (Pungent) Desert Parsley: Lomatium papilioniferum

* Salt and Pepper: Lomatium piperi

Suksdorf's Desert Parsley: Lomatium suksdorfii - Leaves emerging from the ground.

Kinnickinick: Arctostaphylos nevadensis

Desert Shooting Stars: Dodecatheon/Primula conjugens - In bud.

Poet's Shooting Stars: Dodecatheon/Primula poeticum- Leaves coming up with a few flower buds visible.

Bolander's Babystars: Leptosiphon bolanderi - In bud.

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

Hesperochiron: Hesperochiron pumilus - Basal leaves.

* Ballhead Desert Parsley: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii - Beginning to bloom.

* Meadow Nemophila: Nemophila pedunculata

Puccoon: Lithospermum ruderale - Leaves arising from the ground.

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora

* White Plectritis: Plectritis macrocera

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

* Low Pussytoes: Antennaria dimorpha - Beginning to bloom.

Carey's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana - A few plants with flower buds on upper west-facing slopes.

Rush Skeletonweed: Chondrilla juncaea

* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule - Fairly numerous on upper west-facing slopes.

False Agoseris: Nothocalais troximoides - Basal leaves.

* Common Dandelion: Taraxacum officinale

Animals Seen During This Hike:

Pacific Tree Frog

Western Fence Lizards - Numerous. Scuttling through the oak leaves.

Mule Deer herds

California Ground Squirrels

Douglas' Squirrel - Heard.

Western Gray Squirrel

Bald Eagle

Red-tailed Hawk

Turkey Vulture

Ravens

Canada Geese - Heard at a distance from a farm pond.

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker ? - Heard.

Stellers Jay - Heard

Western Meadowlarks - Heard.

American Robins

Western Bluebirds

Dark-eyed Juncos

Chickadees - Heard

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Kinglets (Ruby-crowned ?) - Heard in distance.

Canyon Wren

Sara's Orangetips

Oregon Tiger Beetle ? - Devouring a mason bee.

Mason Bees - Numerous.

Little Bowman Creek at the Canyon Creek Trailhead, Klickitat Wildlife Area........March 26, 2016. - Mount Hood from an old homestead along the Canyon Creek South Loop, Klickitat Wildlife Area........March 26, 2016.

Mount Adams from a high point on the Canyon Creek South Loop Trail, Klickitat Wildlife Area........March 26, 2016. - Canyon Creek gorge viewed north from the east rim, Klickitat Wildlife Area.......March 26, 2016.

The photo at upper left shows the ford of Little Bowman Creek at the Canyon Creek Trailhead. In good weather, the ford is about 12' wide and perhaps 3-5" deep with good bottom. The photo at upper right shows Mount Hood looming over an old field at a homestead at the south end of the Canyon Creek South Loop. The photo at bottom left shows a view of the summit of Mount Adams lurking over the oaks at a high point along the Canyon Creek South Loop. The photo at lower right shows a view into the Canyon Creek Gorge, looking north from the east rim. Slopes there are rocky with a 45-50 degree slope, so walking is discourage there! Pungent desert parsley and gold stars dot the rocky ground.
Paul Slichter