brewbooks's Journal

My journey at the 2024 Wenas Audubon campout at Cascade Park camp in the Wenas Wildlife Area of Central Washington [1][2][3] was more than just a solo adventure. Surrounded by 120 fellow bird watchers, we formed a close-knit community of naturalists. Despite my role as a 'weed watcher,' I was never alone; friends and their friends always surrounded me. Our camp was an enclave of seven within the larger Audubon group gathered from across Washington State.

The first evening talk started with a list of bird species seen during the day and an overview of the campout, including a list of hikes for the next day. I determined I would go on the "adventure hike" or, as some campers named it: "the death march”; that sounded like my hike.

Next, Greg Mackey, the Oak Creek Area Wildlife Manager for the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, talked about the history of elk in Central Washington and how the management of elk herds works today. Elk had been in the region but were killed in the 19th century by settlers. Hunters imported fifty Rocky Mountain elk in 1913. The herd grew to several thousand. The state assembled land holdings to provide wilderness habitat for the elk. One challenge was that the elk would move into the lowlands of the Yakima Valley to graze in the winter, causing crop damage. Washington State started a winter feeding program in several areas, including Oak Creek, to keep the elk out of crops. Greg gave an informative talk, and I learned about the challenges of wildlife management in our state. [4][5][6][7][8]

I was up at sunrise the following day. It was a bit chilly. I brewed instant coffee with my Jetboil stove and viewed the camp waking up with the birds. I had my premade cereal, blueberries, and nuts, which I had cold-soaked the night before; it was delicious. My friends woke up, and three of us headed for the adventure hike rendezvous at 7 AM. We met our hike leader, Jack, and 16 fellow hikers.

We started on a road that followed Dry Creek's path. We walked in a Pinus ponderosa (Ponderosa pine) forest with sagebrush growing interspersed. I closely observed one of the Ponderosa pines; the small male cones were visible. I also saw Artemisia rigida (Scabland Sagebrush), but I need to confirm my ID. One of the first finds was a fallen nest. A few feathers are visible—maybe Genus Spizella (sparrow) feathers?
I also saw a series of flowers and shrubs in bloom:

• Pale blue Iris missouriensis (Western Blue Flag)
• Bright yellow Wyethia amplexicaulis (Northern Mule's Ears)
• White Crataegus douglasii (Black Hawthorn)
• Cream Ribes cereum (Wax Currant)
• Bright blue Triteleia grandiflora (Large-flowered Triteleia)
• White Toxicoscordion paniculatum (Foothill Deathcamas)
• Yellow Castilleja thompsonii (Thompson's Indian Paintbrush)

I got some help from fellow hiker Anna on the Wyethia amplexicaulis identification. Initially, I thought it was in the genus Balsamorhiza. Anna pointed out the multiple flower heads and leaves along the flower stem (cauline leaves),

in contrast to Balsamorhiza sagittata (arrowleaf balsamroot), which usually has a single flower head. I can also see that W. amplexicaulis has shiny green leaves in contrast to Balsamorhiza's gray-green leaves. I should have looked closer; perhaps I needed a second cup of coffee this morning!

While on the Dry Creek segment of the hike, I observed a new moth, Scopula junctaria (Simple Wave), resting on some lupine leaves.

Side note: I should have added an observation of the lupine, but I find lupines a challenge to ID, so I skipped it. Of course, lupines are essential to an ecosystem as they fix nitrogen in the soil. Still, I tend to undersample lupines greatly.

We turned from the flat trail along Dry Creek and headed upward; we had been walking for about an hour. I noticed most of my fellow hikers were ahead of me, so I used the uphill section to catch up. Birders walk slightly faster than botanists (but only a little quicker). I noticedPseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas Fir) trees and Delphinium nuttallianum (Upland Larkspur) in flower.

The trail suddenly grew steeper. I stopped for a breather and saw some red bracts of Castilleja hispida (Harsh Paintbrush). After more climbing, we reached an open meadow. Our group took a break; I used the time to explore the meadow. I first noticed the larger plants: Eriogonum douglasii (Douglas' Buckwheat), Erigeron linearis (Desert Yellow Fleabane), Balsamorhiza (Balsamroots), andArtemisia tripartita (Threetip Sagebrush). I noticed the association of Castilleja thompsonii and A. tripartita growing together; I'll have more to say about this later. There was also Poa bulbosa (Bulbous Bluegrass), an invasive grass in the area. The soil in this area was dry and rocky.

The habitat in this area consists of open meadows at the top of hills bordered by Ponderosa pines, a pattern that repeats in the surrounding hills. I entered the forest border and observed a Pinus ponderosa (Ponderosa Pine) with fluorescent green Genus Letharia (Wolf Lichens) covering the lower branches.

I spotted a yellow and black beetle on an Eriogonum douglasii flower. I assumed the beetle was consuming the flower and serving as a pollinator.

When I got home, I identified this as a Trichodes ornatus (Ornate Checkered Beetle). I was curious and did some research. First, I read Pollinator of the Month: Ornate checkered beetle (Trichoda ornatus) [9], a website on the importance of beetles as pollinators [10] and then the paper Observations on the Life History of Trichodes Ornatus by Linsley and Macswain [11] which was available at Cornell Library. I found that T. ornatus has a remarkable year-long life cycle:

T. ornatus year-long life cycle

1. Adult T. ornatus lays eggs on flower heads
2. Eggs hatch after 20 days, and beetle larvae emerge
3. Bee or wasp (order Hymenoptera) visit flower to pollinate
4. Beetle larva attach to leg of Hymenoptera
5. Hymenoptera returns to nest with stowaway larva
6. Beetle larva enters open cell in Hymenoptera nest
7. Hymenoptera provisions open cell and seals it
8. T. ornatus larva eats Hymenoptera larva
9. T. ornatus larva pupates during winter and emerges in spring
10. Adult T. ornatus emerge; find flowers and small beetles to eat
11. Female and male mate on flowers; female may consume male

In the same area as the T. ornatus beetle, I noticed a small Ichneumonidae (Ichneumonid) wasp exploring a Balsamorhiza, perhaps looking for prey. This wasp's nest might host a T. ornatus larva.

There were also abundant grasshoppers in the grass; I noticed a pair of Bradynotes obesa (Slow Mountain Grasshopper) mating. I saw many of these grasshoppers up on the ridge; they became more active as the morning sun started heating the area; it was about 20 C (68 F) at 9 AM.

Interspersed in the meadow were Trifolium macrocephalum (Bighead Clover); these had all set seed. I also noticed a hoverfly (Tribe Syrphini) flying around an Eriogonum douglasii, perhaps looking for aphids. It was very challenging to capture a photo of this fast-moving syrphid.
The group moved along a flat plateau after about 25 minutes in the meadow. We spent the next three hours exploring this area. After a few minutes, I noticed fritillary butterflies all around me. I caught an Argynnis callippe (Callippe Fritillary) on yellow Erigeron linearis (Desert Yellow Fleabane) flowers. Three species of buckwheat were growing on the plateau: Eriogonum compositum (Arrowleaf Buckwheat), Eriogonum thymoides (Thymeleaf Buckwheat), and Eriogonum douglasii (Douglas' Buckwheat).

While posting an observation of Eriogonum compositum, I noticed ten small Anthrenus Lepidus beetles interacting with the flowers. The beetles were eating the flower and also pollinating it. Unfortunately, I didn't see these beetles until looking at my photos at home.
I saw about 20 Phobetus comatus scarab beetles in a one-meter square area. I think these beetles had recently emerged.

About an hour later, we found the scat of a mammal, possibly
coyote scat, containing the elytra of about P. comatus 50-100 beetles.

Several of us dissected the scat, and afterward, I was treated to a rendition of the Scat Rap chorus [12] by our hike leader and several fellow naturalists:
"It starts with an "s," and it ends with a "t."
It comes out of you and comes out of me
I know what you're thinking; you can call it that
But let's be scientific and call it scat."

I found some other relevant verses when I got home:
Down the trail, something's lying on the ground
Nature's tootsie roll all long and brown
Don't wrinkle your nose, don't lose your lunch
Break it apart; you might learn a bunch
Don't use your fingers, use a stick
Keep it sanitary now; that's the trick

If you want to find out what animals eat
Take a good look at what they excrete
Stuck in the scat are all kinds of clues
Parts of the food their bodies can't use
Like bones and fur (2x)
Hard berries and seeds (2x)
Crawfish shells, ouch! (2x)
Grass fibers and weeds (2x)

I observed several plants on the ridge that were new for this hike:

• Purple flower buds of Allium acuminatum (Hooker's Onion)
• Pink flowers of Erigeron poliospermus (Hairy-seed Fleabane)
• Penstemon gairdneri (Gairdner's Beardtongue) with pink flowers
• Pale yellow-flowered Lithospermum ruderale Western Stoneseed was a plant I saw for the first time.
• Pale pink flowers of Symphoricarpos rotundifolius (Roundleaf Snowberry)
• Pale yellow flower of Tragopogon dubius (Yellow Salsify)
• Another first observation was the cream-colored flowers and unique seeds of Astragalus reventiformis (Yakima Milkvetch). I found Jim Thomas's simplified identification guide helpful[13]
• White-flowered Silene douglasii (Douglas' Catchfly)

In this area, I found Castilleja thompsonii was growing in association with Erigeron linearis (Desert Yellow Fleabane). The genus Castilleja is hemiparasitic; they get water and nutrients but not carbon from their host plant. Throughout the hike, I observed C. thompsonii growing with:

• Artemisia (4)
• Lupine (2)
• Erigeron linearis (1)
• no associated plant (1)

"According to some sources C. thompsonii is nearly always parasitic on sagebrushes (especially A. rigida ), but I have also observed them many times without any sagebrush even remotely close by. The association with A. rigida I suspect is just shared soil habitat (although of course they could be one host)." [14]

Here's a bit more detail about hemiparasitic plants:
"Hemiparasitic plants withdraw resources from the vascular system of their hosts through a specialized transfer organ called haustorium. Hemiparasites attack the host's xylem, in contrast to the holoparasites that infect both phloem and xylem and as a consequence, hemiparasitic plants have access to water and mineral nutrients but little carbon. Due to their reduced or non-existing root networks, hemiparasitic plants acquire virtually all mineral nutrients and water from the host. At the same time, organic carbon is provided, at least in part, by their photosynthetic activity."[15]

We witnessed a predator-prey interaction, first spotted by @sydnianajones : a robber fly (Genus Cyrtopogon) captured an ichneumonid wasp.

This pair flew past us and landed nearby. The wasp was still alive and struggling.
Here's another observation by @sydnianajones of the robber fly and ichneumonid wasp

We found a Formica obscuripes (Western Thatching Ant) nest in a downed tree. In the late morning warmth, the nest was seething with ant activity. We saw similar ant nests in three places on the ridge. In several cases, the ants brought insect larvae into the nest.

Observing Lewisia rediviva (Bitterroot) in this area was a treat.

I was attracted to the large pink flowers and oversampled (18 observations) L. rediviva while on the ridge. Bitterroot was budding and flowering in abundance, and in a few cases, I saw the a href="https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/221729051">desiccated flowers with a cluster of tiny black seeds in the center.

Bitterroots growing under Artemisia were in flower. In contrast, the bitterroot on the open ground was mainly budding.

I first saw the butterfly Coenonympha california (Common Ringlet), widely distributed across North America. I realized this when I saw that a naturalist friend in Vermont had also seen a C. california; it's worth looking at range distribution maps. A bit later in the hike, I saw an Argynnis coronis (Coronis Fritillary) butterfly on the ground; fritillary butterflies were common in this area but challenging to photograph.

Beetles play a role in pollination; I saw a Cortodera subpilosa (flower longhorn beetle on an Erigeron linearis (Desert Yellow Fleabane) flower. The beetle has some pollen grains visible on its elytra (the hard, protective wing covers) and thorax. I also observed flower longhorn beetles (tentative identification Cortodera impunctata) mating on a flowering lupine (probably Lupinus arbutus). Again, pollen is visible on the elytra of both beetles.

Since I was on an Audubon hike, let me close with a bird observation: a Sialia currucoides (Mountain Bluebird) perched in a tree. I photographed this bluebird using what I call diginocing, which is a poor man's Digiscoping, using my binoculars and camera.

It's quite amateur, but I used the equipment I had at hand.

We returned to camp through a woodland route down to Dry Creek and Cascade Camp. It was a great hike; I learned some new things and observed some old friends, such as the bitterroots. Thanks to hike leader Jack and my fellow hikers for an enjoyable 6 hours.
We didn't go very fast (69 minutes per mile) but had a nice Wenas Wilderness sample.

After returning to camp, I had lunch and some reading time (code word for a nap). I also examined a plant display board from the Central Washington Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society.

Members of the chapter gathered samples of the most common plants in the Wenas area for display. This display board helped reinforce some of the plants I've seen on the hike.

In the late afternoon, Jeff Main played a broad mix of acoustic music for an appreciative audience. Carolyn supplied a popsicle to enhance the music. After that, it was time for dinner and a short late afternoon hike with my friends on Hogback Road. One highlight was a plump Sceloporus occidentalis Western Fence Lizard.

Our evening talk was by Kersti Muul, a conservationist. She discussed her interactions with animals, and I was captivated by her rescue of baby owls and observations of a mother owl over several years. In the morning, I had coffee and breakfast with my friends and journeyed home.

PS - I figured writing a journal entry on the Wenas experience would take me a few days. It turned out to take a month, but I am glad I finished. Thanks to everyone who put together the Wenas campout, old and new friends, and the people who helped me identify and learn from my observations on iNaturalist: @jhorthos, @feralmerrill, @red_wolf, @jaltemus, @markegger and twenty others. See you on the next adventure....

References

[1] Wenas Wildlife Area https://wdfw.wa.gov/places-to-go/wildlife-areas/wenas-wildlife-area
[2] Cascade Park https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/cascade-park-wenas-wildlife-area
[3] [3] Washington State Wenas Audubon Campout https://wenasaudubon.org/2024-wenas-campout/

[4] Wandering Central Washington: Oak Creek Wildlife Area, an elk-lectic history
By Janell Shah Special to the Yakima Herald-Republic Feb 19, 2024
https://www.yakimaherald.com/explore_yakima/wandering-central-washington-oak-creek-wildlife-area-an-elk-lectic-history/article_3f53aae6-c9ea-11ee-98b4-0f080a37b3e9.html
[5] You can see hundreds of elk graze at this WA wildlife area in winter by Corbin Rieff, Seattle Times 30 January 2024 https://www.seattletimes.com/life/outdoors/you-can-watch-hundreds-of-elk-graze-at-this-wa-wildlife-area-every-winter/
[6] Wenas Wildlife Area, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife https://wdfw.wa.gov/places-to-go/wildlife-areas/wenas-wildlife-area
[7] Search for Cervus canadensis in Yakima County, Washington
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=872&subview=map&taxon_id=204114&verifiable=any
[8] History of Elk — Washington State And Hanford Reach
https://www.fws.gov/story/history-elk-washington-state-and-hanford-reach
[9] Pollinator of the Month: Ornate checkered beetle (Trichoda ornatus) by kiarra13
https://www.inaturalist.org/posts/89030-pollinator-of-the-month-ornate-checkered-beetle-trichoda-ornatus
[10] BEETLES AND POLLINATION by Cerruti R Hooks and Anahí Espíndola
CMNS, Department of Entomology
https://blog.umd.edu/agronomynews/2020/06/29/beetles-and-pollination/
On the importance of beetles as pollinators
[11] E. G. Linsley, J. W. Macswain, Observations on the Life History of Trichodes Ornatus (Coleoptera, Cleridae), a Larval Predator in the Nests of Bees and Wasps, Annals of the Entomological Society of America, Volume 36, Issue 4, 1 December 1943, Pages 589–601, https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/36.4.589
Found at Cornell Library https://reader.library.cornell.edu/docviewer/digital?id=chla5077679_4204_004#mode/1up
[12] Scat Rap (1988, Andy Bennett, Mary Keebler, Rodd Pemble, Doug Elliott, Billy Jonas)
Found at An Adirondack Naturalist in Central New York website by Ellen Rathbone, November 25, 2009 https://adknaturalist.blogspot.com/2009/11/scat-rap.html
[13] see Astragalus Identification (Washington State)
Relatively jargon-free guide to Washington State Astragalus species. By Jim Thpmas
https://www.inaturalist.org/journal/jhorthos/93957-astragalus-identification-washington-state.
[14] Comment from Jim Thomas https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/221566590
[15] Těšitel J, Plavcová L, Cameron DD. Interactions between hemiparasitic plants and their hosts: the importance of organic carbon transfer. Plant Signal Behav. 2010 Sep;5(9):1072-6. doi: 10.4161/psb.5.9.12563. Epub 2010 Sep 1. PMID: 20729638; PMCID: PMC3115071.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3115071/