Ellensburg, WA
May 31st
Sunny, 75
May 31st Field Trip Experience
Umptanum Ridge
The drive down interstate 90 to the Ellensburg area was a beautiful way to start the Saturday off. When we arrived at the Umptanum Ridge trailhead, everyone hopped out of the vehicles, ready to begin a fun filled day of learning about natural history! There was a slight hiccup right off the bat, however, as a few of us rushed off to find a hiker who had fallen from a rocky cliff and was injured. Getting him out of there and checked out by an officer was kind of a rush and it felt good to be the ones who assisted.
Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera on this portion of the trip because I knew we might be hiking some somewhat rocky trails, and my previous phone didn't make it out of the last field trip alive. So I'll just explain it! I ventured off of the beaten path with hopes of finding a reptile, but to no avail. However, I did find a nice patch of prickly pear cactus that I alerted the class about. As everyone flocked around to admire, Tim began to tell us about the tall sagebrush that grew in the area. I found it ridiculous that some of those bushes that were no taller than four feet could be somewhere around 100 years old!
The rest of this portion of the trip was filled with more learning of shrubs and birds. It was really nice getting to use the scope and seeing some of the birds that dwelled up on the rocky cliffs that were far off in the distance.
Yakima Canyon
Later in the day, the class visited a lithizol community comprised of mostly rocky soil that actually supported a range of healthy organisms. Many of these were different types of flowers such as the Erigeron, Thyme desert buckwheat, Balsom root, Rocky Mountain Iris as well as some stiff sage brush. Learning the difference between stiff sage brush and the variety found at Umptanum Ridge was interesting, and made sense based on the difference of water availability in the two locations.
I spent most of my time here looking under rocks for the infamous horny toad. Unfortunately, I was unable to find one but my classmate did! The spiny lizard had rough skin and seemed surprisingly calm in the hands of a human. This was the first of the species I had ever observed so I was very excited. While I was searching though, I did happen upon two scorpions. After being a bit startled, I just observed them and they were fairly docile. I just gently put the rock back over them and let them continue doing whatever scorpions do.
Pollinating Bumble Bee
Scorpion
Stiff Sagebrush
Waterfall Trail
Our final destination on the field trip was a trail that led to a waterfall after about twenty minutes of walking. Along the trail, we saw a plethora of bird and plant species. Some of the plants and shrubs along the trail included: Rocky Mountain Iris, Cypress trees, and timothy grass. One of the most interesting parts, however, was getting to see a woodpecker up close through the scope as it pre-bored its digging holes in a snag. Observing it methodically move around the trunk of the tree and use its feathers for support was a treat. It still baffles me that a bird can peck such deep holes into wood like that.
Cypress
Rocky Mountain Iris
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