Synopsis
In continuation with COVID-19 pandemic guidelines, we headed to Robinson Canyon for some social distance hiking. This is another great place to enjoy the outdoors, wildlife, birdlife, blooming flowers, sunshine and fresh air yet maintain a good distance from other hikers in this open canyon with its open sagebrush, meandering meadows, and ponderosa stands.

Warbling Vireos, Lazuli Bunting, and Black-headed Grosbeak sang loudly from the aspens and ponderosa. A single Lewis's Woodpecker swooped high from a large snag and caught insects on the wing. Common Ravens gave chase to a passing Golden Eagle. Chipping Sparrows trilled from the sagebrush. A number of rattlesnakes sunbathed in the warming day and politely gave warning when we blundered too close. Fields of arnica, lupine, and paintbrush splashed the hillsides in color. This area is a great temporary escape from the heaviness of the current situation.

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Pictures (click on thumbnails to enlarge)

Bird List

Sooty Grouse

Vaux's Swift

Calliope Hummingbird

Turkey Vulture

Golden Eagle

Cooper's Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Western Screech-Owl

Lewis's Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

American Kestrel

Western Wood-Pewee

Cassin's Vireo

Warbling Vireo

Steller's Jay

American Crow

Common Raven

Mountain Chickadee

Violet-green Swallow

Bushtit

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Rock Wren

House Wren

Western Bluebird

Townsend's Solitaire

American Robin

Purple Finch

Cassin's Finch

American Goldfinch

Chipping Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Spotted Towhee

Yellow-breasted Chat

Western Meadowlark

Bullock's Oriole

Brown-headed Cowbird

Nashville Warbler

MacGillivray's Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Townsend's Warbler

Wilson's Warbler

Western Tanager

Black-headed Grosbeak

Lazuli Bunting

Critters

Mule deer

California ground squirrel

Northern Pacific Rattlesnake

Gopher snake

Flowers in bloom

Antelopebrush

arrowleaf balsamroot

California false hellbore

Catchfly

Chelan penstemon

Chokecherry

Desert yellow fleabane

Douglas Brodiaea

False agoseris

False solomon's seal

Harsh paintbrush

Heartleaf arnica

Lupine

Oregon sunshine

Phlox

Roundleaf alumroot

Shrubby penstemon

Steppe sweetpea

Swale desert parsley

Upland larkspur

Western blue flax

Western hawksbeard

Woodland Star

Woolly goldenweed

Yellow desert fleabane

Yellow salsify

Butterflies

Boisduval's blue

Acoma blue

Juba skipper

Mourning cloak

fritillary sp.

swallowtail sp.

sulphur sp.

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