The Animals

Explore Nature: Steelhead Ecology Hike, April 8th, 2017

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Steelhead are jumbo-sized rainbow trout that inhabit every corner of the Tillamook Bay Watershed. Angling is the most common way for people to see them, but during the spawning season of April and May they can also be viewed by hikers and “fish-watchers.” Photo courtesy of Conrad Gowell.

Have you ever wondered what makes a rainbow trout become a “steelhead?” Have you ever caught a glimpse of steelhead swimming and spawning in the wild? These incredible ocean-going trout are among the most revered gamefish in the world, and they attract thousands of anglers to Tillamook County’s rivers every year. Steelhead are also one of the most beautiful and interesting inhabitants of our rainforest environment. This coming weekend offers a rare chance to learn about these fascinating fish on a special “steelhead ecology” hike along Tillamook’s spectacular Kilchis River. Join naturalists from the Tillamook Bay Watershed Council (TBWC) and Tillamook Estuaries Partnership (TEP) as they lead hikers along sections of the Kilchis, looking for spawning pairs of steelhead, and discussing aspects of steelhead biology and behavior. Registration is FREE and required for this event.

When, Where & What to Bring: This coming Saturday, April 8th from 10:00AM to 1:00PM at the Mapes Creek Landing (aka the “Logger Bridge”) on the Kilchis River. Bring boots, raingear and a snack, as well as a pair of polarized sunglasses if you have them.

Difficulty: Moderate; approximately 2 miles round-trip. Trail is typically muddy and will include navigating uneven terrain and hopping across two small streams.

Cost: The event is FREE, although there will be a $4 parking fee per vehicle, payable by cash or check to the Tillamook County Parks Department.

Registration: Required and available at EventBrite.com by following the link below:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/steelhead-ecology-hike-tickets-33404008288

Explore Nature is a series of hikes, walks, paddles and outdoor adventures hosted throughout Tillamook County by a coalition of conservation organizations. These meaningful, nature-based experiences highlight the unique beauty of Tillamook County and the work being done to preserve and conserve the area’s natural resources and natural resource-based economy. Explore Nature is partially funded by the Economic Development Council of Tillamook County and Visit Tillamook Coast.

The TBWC and TEP are local, not-for-profit organizations working to build voluntary partnerships with communities and landowners to protect, maintain and improve the health of our waters, fish and wildlife. Learn more about our on-the-ground restoration projects, educational outreach programs, and other community-engagement activities on our “Projects” page, and at www.tbnep.org.

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Young steelhead spend from one to five years rearing in their home rivers before making the trek to the ocean. That means they can be easily mistaken for resident rainbow trout during the summer fishing season. For that reason, many Tillamook-area anglers promote catch-and-release for small rainbow trout, in the hope that they will someday return as adult steelhead. Photo courtesy of Conrad Gowell.

 

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This 37-inch male, or “buck” steelhead was caught and released on the Trask River in 2015. TBWC photo.

 

 

 

A Report from Tillamook’s 53rd Annual Christmas Bird Count

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John P. counts huge flocks of waterfowl and shorebirds at Kilchis Point while Denise H. writes it all down. If you are curious about our local birds, don’t miss next year’s Christmas Bird Count!

Our Council members spend a lot of time in and around the Tillamook Bay, which means we are always surrounded by birds. We recognize some of them on sight: bald eagles, red tailed hawks, great blue herons, as well as local favorites, like the great egret and the white tailed kite. We are familiar with several of the many different duck species that frequent our bay: mallards, buffleheads, goldeneyes. But there are dozens of species that fly or swim by us that get lumped into broad categories like “gulls” or “shore birds.” Even experienced birders can be daunted by the number of species, especially given their seasonal changes in plumage. So when our Council Coordinator got the chance to participate in the 53rd Annual Christmas Bird Count on Tillamook Bay, he jumped at the chance, even if it required a pre-dawn meeting on a cold winter’s day. Here’s Rob’s report from December 17th, 2016:

Our team met at the Tillamook Denny’s at 6:30AM. It was still dark, but a fresh layer of snow made everything seem brighter, and colder! Denise H. and I were paired with a master birder named John P. who has been doing bird counts for over 40 years. We knew we were in for a real education, and it sure turned out that way.

We launched the boat at Park’s Landing on the lower Kilchis and floated out to Hathaway Slough and Kilchis Point. It snowed periodically, which added a magical quality to the morning. We made several stops on gravel bars to set up the spotting scope, where John counted literally thousands of waterfowl and shorebirds. From there we proceeded to Bay City, counting as we went, and arrived at Pacific Oyster just in time for lunch. Then we climbed back in the boat and motored across the bay to the Bayocean side. This was important because there were birds that John knew would be associated with the eel grass beds in the middle and West bay. Then we made our way up to Dick Point and the Picket Fence, where we crossed back to the east side and explored the massive delta of the Kilchis, Wilson and Trask. Since the Southern Flow Corridor project had mostly finished, we were able to enter Blind Slough for the first time–very exciting. And we were all blown away by the beauty of the newly-connected tidal channel. Our team ended the day at Memaloose Point with over 8,000 birds counted, representing 65 species. There were 14 other birders who participated–a total of 17. Between all of us we counted 27,381 birds of 121 species. A few points of interest from the organizer, Owen Schmidt: The biggest news was the Hooded Oriole coming to the Tweelinckx’s in the Village of Meares and staying at least until Count Day.  Not everyone who stopped by saw the bird, which had been coming daily but stayed only briefly.  The bird was photographed in the days prior to the Count and appears on eBird lists. Say’s Phoebe was seen for only the third time, a single bird near the Air Museum.  A total. of 13 Western Bluebirds from 2 locations set a new high Count record.  Great Egrets continue to grow in their winter numbers with 114 birds from several locations.

Click here to see a PDF of the complete species list and tally from the 53rd Tillamook CBC:

53rd-final-list

For more information about the Tillamook Bay CBC, contact the compiler, Owen Schmidt, at (503) 789-4854, oschmidt@att.net.

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A Western Bluebird poses for a snapshot near the Tillamook Air Museum. Owen Schmidt photo. Thank, Owen!