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Trip Report

St. Cloud — Monday, Sep. 1, 2025

Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
Vancouver Audubon birders on the loop trail around the historic St. Cloud Ranch apple orchard. Photo by Susan Saul

I joined about 8-10 other birders for Vancouver Audubon's monthly "first of the month bird walk." We visited Sams Walker and Bonneville Dam before stopping at the St. Cloud Day Use Area on our drive back to Vancouver.

We walked the loop trail around the St. Cloud Ranch historic apple orchard looking for birds. We also took a side trip down a boot path to the Columbia River shoreline to add several other species to our list.

The trail was in good condition and the apples were ripening on the trees. Several people sampled different varieties of apples and reported that they were tart, so the apple varieties planted by the St. Cloud pioneer farmers were likely used for cider.

While we were there, a family arrived to pick apples. 

One of the apple trees in the historic St. Cloud Ranch orchard. Photo by Susan Saul
Common Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) was blooming along the Columbia River shoreline. Photo by Susan Saul
Birders on the St. Cloud shoreline along the Columbia River watching vultures and hawks flying above the riparian forest. Photo by Susan Saul
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