The Audubon Societies 375 



After making the 'Devil's Punch-Bowl' as a side trip, we went on to Maupin. 

 We stopped at The Dalles for lunch, and that was about the beginning of the 

 sagebrush country. Here we began seeing several new birds not found in the 

 Willamette Valley. Crossing the Cascades I had my first, and very enthu- 

 siastic acquaintance with the Mountain Bluebird. Though I had always 

 thought it beautiful, I had no idea it was as beautiful as it really is. The 

 picture in Reed's 'Western Bird Guide,' is not at all accurate, and even the 

 descriptions did not paint to me such a pretty picture as it proved to be. There, 

 also, I had my first acquaintance with Say's Phoebe and Cassin's Kingbird. 

 Both were very plentiful, though the bird that was the most numerous, I 

 think, was the Meadowlark. One peculiar thing that came to my notice was 

 the nesting-site of the Cassin's Kingbird. The telegraph poles in this district 

 are braced by smaller posts some five feet high, directly alongside, and I saw 

 two nests oi Cassin's Kingbird, placed on the top of the smaller post with 

 absolutely no protection from wind or rain. Along in this district, through 

 Wasco County, I also saw several Mourning Doves. 



Wasco County abounds in rolling plateaus covered with low sagebrush and 

 small, fine grass. Shortly before reaching Maupin I saw the first Dusky 

 Horned Lark on the trip and one Rock Wren, the first I had ever seen, and it 

 was very obliging and allowed me to get a good look at it. 



We arrived at Maupin shortly after sunset, and as it grew dusk I went 

 down to the river to "see what I could see." About six Nighthawks were sail- 

 ing over the water, catching the many mosquitoes. 



The following day we motored to Heppner from Maupin. Not far from 

 Maupin I saw my first Northern Shrike. The rolling plateaus continued here, 

 and now the more desert types of birds became abundant. Cassin's Kingbird, 

 the Dusky Horned Lark, Vesper Sparrow, Mourning Dove, and Mountain 

 Bluebird were abundant, while several Burrowing Owls, Cowbirds, Bank 

 Swallows, Rough-winged Swallows, and Killdeer were seen. Going through a 

 mountainous region covered with Pine, I saw my first White-headed Wood- 

 pecker. 



About sunset we came to a place called 'Buttermilk Canon.' This canon 

 is about six miles long and very winding. A number of birds were seen here, 

 including Brewer's Blackbirds, (among these I saw a freak with a white tail), 

 Mourning Doves, Robins, and Dusky Horned Larks. I do not think, however, 

 that I ever saw such a magnificent sunset. The effect on the rolling plateaus 

 surrounding us was wonderful, and just as dark nearly closed in around us, 

 coming up a hill, we came into full view of Mt. Hood, half enveloped in dark- 

 ness, but with a beautiful pink haze covering the summit, and Mt. Adams 

 was a soKd mass of glowing color — orange, pink, blue, purple, and gray, all 

 blended together. 



The next day, having stopped for the night at Heppner, we went on to 

 Pendleton, It was here that we met many Magpies. We also saw a number 



