[Columbia River Gorge Wildflower Reports]
Currently Blooming Wildflowers in the Columbia River Gorge

Memaloose Overlook

February 21, 1999

 

The areas listed on this page appear to be one to two weeks behind last years blooming periods.

Salt & Pepper Lomatium piperi at right.

1. Grass Widow: Sisyrinchium douglasii var. douglassii

2. Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule

Govenor Tom McCall Nature Preserve & Rowena Overlook:

1. Grass Widow: Sisyrinchium douglasii var. douglassii Thousands in bloom, but only the beginning of the bloom season for this species.

2. Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna var. boerhaavii One in bloom.

3. Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum Dozens beginning bloom.

4. Salt & Pepper or Piper's Desert Parsley: Lomatium piperi Thousands in bloom.

Animals Seen:

1. California Ground Squirrel- 1

2. Raven- 2

3. Kestrel- 2

4. Red-tailed Hawk- 2

5. Horned Lark- 2

6. Flicker- 3

7. American Robin- 3

8. Red-winged Blackbird- 2

9. Steller's jay- 1 heard.

10. Western meadowlark- 1 heard

11. House Finch- 1 heard

The Dalles, OR (at MP 87.5 at some basalt cliffs to the west of The Dalles on old gorge highway & about 1/2 mile south of the new gorge interpretive center)

1. Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna var. boerhaavii

2. Smooth Prairie Star: Lithophragma glabra

3. Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum

4. Pungent Desert Parsley: Lomatium grayi

Animals Seen:

1. Lesser Goldfinch- 5

2. American Robin- 2

3. Dark-eyed Junco- 2

The Dallesport, WA and The Dalles Mt Road to the Dalles Mt. Ranch

The road is in very good condition so far this year.....almost the best condition I've ever seen it! You will pass two areas burnt by rangefires this past summer. These might bear looking at for species which are positively affected by fire, and also to compare areas burned and not burned.

1. Biscuit Root Lomatium macrocarpum Sparse bloom on the ridgetop.

2. Salt & Pepper or Piper's Desert Parsley: Lomatium piperi Fairly abundant bloom on the ridgetop.

Animals Seen:

1. American Robins- 108

2. Kestrel- 3

3. Harriers- 2

4. Starling- 18

5. Black-billed magpies- 11

6. Dark-eyed Junco- 4

7. Raven- 2

8. Prairie Falcon- 3

9. Golden Eagles- 2 (both immature)

Catherine and Major Creeks (between Bingen, WA and Lyle, WA)

1. Grass Widow: Sisyrinchium douglasii var. douglasii

2. Western Buttercup: Ranunculus occidentalis

3. Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna var. boerhaavii

4. Smooth Prairie Star: Lithophragma glabra

5. Western Saxifrage: Saxifraga occidentalis

6. Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum

7. Salt & Pepper or Piper's Desert Parsley: Lomatium piperi

8. Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule

Animals seen:

1. Northern Flicker- 1

2. Numerous small butterflies feeding on Lomatium piperi

Paul Slichter