Biology 452 Field Trip Information

Columbia National Wildlife Refuge: Grant County 

 
DESCRIPTION

This region is known as the Scablands or Potholes. The landscape was formed by erosion following the repeated release of floodwater from the huge Pleistocene Lake Missoula located in parts of Montana & Idaho. The potholes today are a mix of rugged basalt cliffs and canyons with numerous small lakes that formed as a result of the rising water table when irrigation began in surrounding farmland in the late 1940s.  Go to the following web sites for information on the history of the Columbia NWR.
DIRECTIONS

This wildlife refuge is nearly 200 miles from Seattle & 8 miles NW of Othello WA. To get there from Seattle, take I-90 east to the Columbia River. Turn right after you cross the river to follow Hwy. 26 toward Othello. From Hwy. 26 go north on road A SE or D SE. You'll end up at an intersection with 12 SE (i.e. McManamon Road) that runs from west to southeast through part of the refuge. Go right on 12 SE and follow the sign for CNWR and Soda Lake. Soon after you are on gravel/dirt roads that travel through the refuge.

 

FIELD TRIP SPECIES LISTS

COLUMBIA NWR - Fish

June 23, 07

June 24, 00
June 24, 06
June 25, 05
June 26, 04

June 28 ,03

June 29, 02

June 30, 01
Carp
.
.
.
..
X
.
.
.
Bridgelip Sucker
?
 . 
.
X
 .  .  .  . 

Bluegill (Centrarchidae family)
.

X
.
X
X

X

.

.

Largemouth Bass
.

.
X
X
.

X

X?

X?

Columbia NWR - Herps
June 23, 07

June 24, 00
June 24, 06
June 25, 05
June 26, 04

June 28, 03

June 29, 02

June 30, 01

Tiger Salamander

.

.
.
X (dead larva)
.

.

.

.
Pacific Treefrog
X
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Great Basin Spadefoot Toad
.

.
.
..
.

.

.

X - road

Bullfrog
X

X
X
X
X

X

X

X

Painted Turtle
X

X
X
X
X

X

X

X

Racer
skins

.
X (skins)
.
.

.

X

..

Gopher Snake

X

X
X
.
.

..

.

.

Western Rattlesnake
X

.
X
.
X

.

X

X
Columbia NWR - Mammals
June 23, 07

June 24, 00
June 24, 06
June 25, 05
June 26, 04

June 28, 03

June 29, 02

June 30, 01

Mountain Cottontail

X

scat
X
(scat)
.

.

.

X

Muskrat
.

.
X
X
X

X

X

X

Beaver
.

.
X
(roadkill)
.

X

.

X
Porcupine
.
 .
(roadkill)
 . . . . .
Northern Pocket Gopher
mounds
 . 
mounds
 .  .  .  .  . 

Great Basin Pocket Mouse
skeleton

.
X (burrow)
.
.

tracks

.

tracks

Bushy-tailed Woodrat
scat

.
.
(scat)
X

.

.

nest?
Vole (no id)
runways
 .
.
(kestrel prey)

.
.
.
 .
Yellow-bellied Marmot
X
 . 
X
X

.
.
.
 . 
Least Chipmunk?
.
 . 
.
(I-90 sage)

.
.
.
 . 
bat (no id)
.
 .
.
X

.
.
.
 .
Striped Skunk
roadkill Hwy 12
. 
.
roadkill I-90

.
.
.
 . 

Coyote

scat

scat
X
carcass
X

scat

X + scat

scat + call

Mule Deer
X

X
X
X
.

tracks

tracks

X

White-Tailed Deer (I 90)
X

.
X
X
X

X

X

.

Elk (I-90))
.

.
X
.
.

X

.

.

COLUMBIA NWR - Birds

June 23, 07

June 24, 00
June 24, 06
June 25, 05
June 26, 04

June 28, 03

June 29, 02

June 30, 01

Pied-billed Grebe
X

.
X
X + chicks
X

X

X

.
Western Grebe
.

.
.
X (Columbia R.)
X
.
.
.
White Pelican
.
 .
X
 . . . . .

Double-crested Cormorant
.

X
X
X
.

X

X

X

Great Blue Heron
X

X
X
X
X

X

X

X

Great Egret
.

.
.
X
.

X

.

X

Black-crowned Night-Heron
.

X
.
.
X

X

X

.

Canada Goose
X

X
X
X
X

X

X

.

Mallard
X

X
X
X + chicks
X

X

X

X

Northern Pintail
?

.
.
.
.

.

X?

.

American Widgeon
.

X
.
.
.

.

.

.

Redhead
X

X
X
.
X

X

X

X

Lesser Scaup
.

.
.
.
X

.

.

X
Cinnamon Teal
X
              
Blue-winged Teal
X

.
.
.
X

.

.

.

Common Merganser

.

X (Yakima R)

X
.
X (Yakima R)

.

.

.

Turkey Vulture -Cle Elum/Columbia

X

.
.
X
X

.

.

X

Osprey (Yakima R) (exits 104 & 84)
X + nest

X + nest
X + nest
X + nest
X

X + nest

X + nest

X + nest
Swainson's Hawk
.
 . 
.
X
 .  .  .  . 

Red-tailed Hawk
X

X
X
X
X

X

X

X

Northern Harrier
X

.
X
X
X

X

X

.
Cooper's Hawk
.

.
.
.
X

.

.

.
Merlin
.

..
.
.
?

..

..

.
Prairie Falcon
.

..
.
.
X

..

.

.

American Kestrel
X

X
X
X (ate vole)
X

X

X

X

Ring-necked Pheasant
X

.
X
X
.

.

.

feathers
California Quail
X
 . 
X
X
 .  .  .  . 

Ruffed Grouse
.

.
.
.
.

X

.

.

American Coot
X

.
X + chicks
X + chicks
X

.

.

.

Killdeer
X

X
X
X
X

X

X

X

Black-necked Stilt
X

.
.
X + chicks
.

X

X

X?

American Avocet
.

X
.
.
..

..

..

.

Greater Yellowlegs
.

.
X
X
X

.

.

X
Spotted Sandpiper
X

.
X
X
X

.

.

.

Caspian Tern
X

.
X
X
X

X

.

.

Black Tern
.

.
.
.
.

.

.

X

Forster's Tern
.

X
X
.
X

.

X

X

Ring-billed Gull
.

X
X
.
.

X

.

X

Bonaparte's Gull
.

.
.
.
.

X

.

.

California Gull
X

?
X
X
X

.

X

.

Mourning Dove
X

X
X
X
X

X

X

X

Great Horned Owl
X

.
X
(nest?)
X

X

.

.

Belted Kingfisher
.

X
X
X
.

.

.

.

Common Nighthawk
.

.
.
X
.

X

.

X
White-throated Swift (Columbia River)
X
 .
X
X
X
 ..  ..  .
Vaux's Swift  (Columbia River)
X

.
X
X
X

.

.

.

Northern Flicker
X

X
X
X
X

X

X

X

Eastern Kingbird
X

..
X
X
X

X

..

X

Western Kingbird
X

X
X
X
X

X

X

X
Tree Swallow
X
 ..
X
 .. .. .. .. ..

Violet-green Swallow
X

X
X
X
X

?

X

.

Northern Rough Winged Swallow
.

X
X
X
X

.

.

.
Bank Swallow
.
X + nest
.
.
.
.
.
X

Cliff Swallow
X

?
X
.X
X

X

X

X

Barn Swallow
X

X
.
X
X

X

X

X

Black-billed Magpie
X

X
X
X
X

X

X

X

American Crow
X

X
X
X
X

X

X

X

Common Raven
X

X
X
X
X

.

.

X?

Rock Wren
X

.
X
X
X

X

X

X

Canyon Wren
.

.
.
.
.

.

X

.

Marsh Wren
.

..
.
.
.

.

.

call

House Wren
.

.
?
X
.

X

.

.

American Robin
X

X
X
X
X

X

X

X

Western Bluebird
.

..
..
.
.

.

.

X

Horned Lark
.

.
.
.
.

.

.

X
Western Tanager
.
 . .
.
X
 .  .  .  . 

Red-winged Blackbird
X

X
X
X
X

X

X

X

Western Meadowlark
X

X
X
X
X

X

X

X

Yellow-headed Blackbird
X

X
X
X
X

X

X?

X

Brewer's Blackbird
X

X
X
X
X

X

.

X?

Northern Oriole
X

X
X + nest
X + nest
X

X

X

X

Lark Sparrow
.

.
.
.
.

..

X

X

| top of page |