Southern Oregon is big country. My task? To identify and count every bird I see, all day long! But there's more to see than birds! Come along, walk with me!

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A Foggy Start in a Foggy Place

Why am I identifying and counting every bird I see? I'm helping out with the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, held in the winter, every year, all around the world. I mentioned it last year. Back then, my sister came to help me out in my designated count area and I fed her Black-eyed Peas with Wild Field Mustard. This winter, in mid-December, I'm helping her in her assigned area in southern Oregon, along the Umpqua River.

We met in the morning, right as the day became light enough to actually see birds. The count was on my birthday, so my sister brought me a donut cake! I don't think it took her long to make, lol. But it was a hit!

This photo gives you an idea of the lay of the land. It's hilly! The grass greens up in the winter rain and fog. Even though the trees have lost their leaves for the winter, they are covered in lichens - making them look all scraggly!

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Stop, Look, and Listen

We have a lot of area to cover. So for part of the day, we drive, stopping often to get out of the car, to listen for bird activity and look in the bushes and trees. What do we see?

These Black-tailed Deer - a subspecies of Mule Deer - were bedded down on the hillside. They did not want to get up and move - at all! They were so still we thought they were decoys put out by the Game and Fish Commission to catch poachers hunting illegally. But with my binoculars, I could see the big buck on the left blinking! Eventually they got up and moved uphill.

Our goal is to identify and count every bird we see, all day long. Sometimes the birds cooperate -- other times they don't! They can be too far away. They hide behind branches and brush. And the light can be poor, especially on a gray winter day! How many birds do you see in this big Poison Oak bush? Can you tell what they are?

Did you see all 6 birds? The two with the rusty orange sides are Spotted Towhees. The rest are Dark-eyed Juncos.

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Looking Close

Even though the birds are usually at a distance, there are so many interesting things to see up close, too.

It's always a surprise to see vigorous, healthy mushrooms in the winter. Some mushrooms don't seem to mind freezing weather, as long as they can thaw out a bit - and if there's plenty of rain! These mushrooms were on a nearly vertical exposed slope -- so no getting up close to verify what they are!

Most of the deciduous trees on the open hillslopes are Oregon White Oaks. They have so much lichen on them! Lichens are fascinating! They are two different life forms, living as one -- an algae inside of a fungus. Sometimes, there's a third life form in there -- a cyanobacteria. Together, they can thrive in difficult conditions, where they couldn't live alone.

In the summer the lichen shrinks up and the algae takes most of the food. But in the winter, with the rains, the fungi partner thrives. It expands and grows and can cover entire limbs. When the weather is foggy, lichens scavenge a lot of water, nutrients -- and pollution -- from the air!

Mosses thrive in the fog and winter rains, too! This fencepost is supporting a moss and at least 3 different lichens. Over 1000 kinds of lichens have been identified in the Pacific Northwest, and I'm just starting to learn some of them. I have a long way to go!

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Signs of the Time

Mushrooms, and lush lichens and moss are natural signs of winter in western Oregon. But we found other signs, too - of Christmas!

Hahaha - see that little stump near the center of the picture? Someone pulled over to the side of the road and cut themselves a Christmas tree! It's hard to get too upset about it. There are so many little evergreens sprouting up right next to the roads. And the road crew is certain to cut them down before they get too big. So at least that little tree was appreciated by someone, somewhere, for a few days!

You have to appreciate this family's effort, putting up a giant Santa decoration, even though it's barely visible to anyone else! We only saw it because we walked to the end of the public road, that led to 2 houses tucked into the woods.

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Lunch Break!

This is such pretty country! This former ranch, right along the Umpqua River, is now a big area of public land where people can ride horses, hike, or mountain bike. It's a great area for finding birds! But first, we're stopping here for a quick picnic lunch.

We may spend all day out looking for birds, but a bird-watching group has to eat, too! This year, I made soup from homegrown potatoes and onions, with wild field mustard, wild Yellowfoot mushrooms, and smoked bacon. That hit the spot on this cold, cloudy day!

What's for dessert? Wild mushrooms! Yes, candied Cat's Tongue and Witches Butter mushrooms. I boil them in a lime sugar syrup and then dehydrate them. They turn into a wild version of Gummy Bears! So good!

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Headed Uphill Through the Oaks

After lunch, we're heading up toward Blacktail Ridge. We could take one of the trails. But no, not this time.

We're headed cross-country, up through the Oregon White Oak forest.

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Thanks for Walking With Me

There are so many neat things to see, hiking up through the oaks. Views of the spectacular landscape, signs of wildlife, and mushrooms, of course! But that will be in Part 2. Until then, I hope you enjoyed spending time on your walk with me! Thanks for coming along!

And thanks to @lyndsaybowes for the #walkwithme tag!

• Have you ever gone bird-watching?
• Have you heard of the Audubon Christmas Bird Count before?
• Do you have moss or lichens growing in your area?
• Would you eat my mushroom soup or mushroom gummy bears?

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Plant and Animal List

• Blacktailed Deer - Odocoileus hemionus columbianus
• Poison Oak - Toxicodendron diversilobum
• Spotted Towhee - Pipilo maculatus
• Dark-eyed Juno - Junco hyemalis
• Wild Field Mustard - Brassica rapa
• Cat's Tongue mushrooms - Pseudohydnum gelatinosum
• Yellowfoot mushrooms - Craterellus tubaeformis
• Witches Butter mushrooms - Dacrymyces chrysospermus
• Oregon White Oak - Quercus garryana

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Haphazard Homestead

foraging, gardening, nature, simple living close to the land
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