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Month: July 2019

Oregon Trip Part II: Lower Klamath Falls National Wildlife Refuge

Oregon Trip Part II: Lower Klamath Falls National Wildlife Refuge

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Franklin's Gull

Franklin’s Gull Going After Insect, Lower Klamath Falls NWR, 2017

See Oregon Trip Part I for the first part of this story.

We spent the morning at Summer Lake and were giddy with all the cool birds we found. It was a beautiful, mountainous drive southward towards civilization, and Lower Klamath Falls NWR would be our last big birding spot of our trip. We didn’t realize it was an auto tour which made for a lot of driving as this was the second auto tour of the day, and we still had to continue to Dunsmuir for our final night.

During the entire auto tour, we never saw another car. It was completely empty of visitors. We saw Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Tricolored Blackbirds, Franklin Gulls, and even accidentally startled a Bald Eagle. But the coolest event involved one of our target birds: the Sandhill Cranes. We heard the cranes in Summer Lake but didn’t get to see them. Slightly disappointed, I added them to my life list wishing we could have at least glimpsed them. Their rattling call is quite memorable.

Sandhill Cranes

Sandhill Cranes and Coyote, Lower Klamath Falls NWR, 2017

We were on the auto tour for quite a long time, always seeming to be on the brink of getting lost. As we rounded the final part of the auto tour, we spotted two cranes! But that wasn’t the only activity out there. Nearby was a coyote. We watched the coyote as it feigned indifference to the alert cranes. But with each seemingly disinterested step, the coyote crept closer and closer to the cranes without alarming them. It was sneaky Wile E. Coyote tactics as it avoided focusing on the birds while inching closer. The cranes were huge compared to the coyote and I was shocked to observe its boldness. I was ready to watch a big battle of life and death unfold before me. It was probably a good 20 minutes of watching the hunt when the coyote thought better of its decision and eventually skulked away. How fascinating to watch this scene and learn how the coyote could creep so close to the birds without scaring them off flying!

Oregon Trip Part I: Summer Lake

Oregon Trip Part I: Summer Lake

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Clark's Nutcracker

Clark’s Nutcracker, Crater Lake NP, 2017

“Well that’s the last time I let you book a hotel.”

I uttered these words to my husband as I carefully controlled my horror and panic as we arrived at our destination in Summer Lake, Oregon. It was pitch black out when we rolled off the lonely highway in the high desert and clumsily walked around the grounds in search of our cabin. This was Day 2 of my first-ever road trip, and we were exhausted after having driven from Crescent City, CA to Crater Lake and eventually to Summer Lake several hours east.

I did not notice that we were inches away from blindly stepping into a small lake nor did I realize how many birds we would see once the sun popped out the following morning. Instead, I could only make out the porch light beaming brightly with the thousands of bugs attracted to that little beacon of glory. We opened the door and all those bugs, and mosquitoes, invited themselves into our room. We would have to open the door two more times: to retrieve our bags and return to our room. It was in that moment of realization that I said those calculated words to my poor, tired husband and weighed the pros and cons of sleeping in the insect-free car for the night. Instead, I chose to use the fly swatter on the wall and whack the dudes out of existence for the next hour. I slept with my jacket strategically wrapped around my head forming a small hole to breathe through. I woke up bite-free; my husband, refusing to follow my new fashion statement, did not share the same bite-free fate.

Tree Swallow

Young Tree Swallows in the Morning Light, Summer Lake, 2017

I woke up early the next morning unusually rested. I could hear the chatter of calls and melodic tunes coming from outside and I couldn’t stay put. Soundlessly I left the cabin and slipped outdoors to greet the birds. I watched California Quail running around, I was dive-bombed multiple times by an aggressive Tree Swallow, and I carefully scanned the Red-winged Blackbirds for signs of a Tricolored Blackbird. I relaxed at the pond near the cabin and was thankful that we didn’t fall into it the night before.

After nearly an hour of enjoying the calm and cool morning, I heard it – our target bird. I didn’t know what to do, wake my husband and face the consequences of a coffee-less morning, or hope the birds stick around. I quietly reentered the cabin and he stirred. I quietly said his name and received a grunt in response. So I pushed it, “Trumpeter Swans!!” Out of bed, throw on fresh clothes, out of there in a flash. It was a good thing I woke him because the swans disappeared not too long after that.

All and all, this was a worthwhile stop. The nearby auto tour produced lifers, including Yellow-headed Blackbirds and Franklin Gulls. I would recommend coming here at least once for the birds; just be sure to arrive in the day or turn off your porch light.

Yellow-Headed Blackbird

Yellow-Headed Blackbird, Summer Lake Auto Tour, 2017

Hanging Out With The Crows

Hanging Out With The Crows

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Young crows are vocal shiny black balls. They follow their parents around while belching out a dry “caw” sound. When a parent gives it food (by cramming its beak down the young crow’s throat), the young crow gives off a call that sounds like what I imagine a dying cat would sound like.

I’ve had coworkers come to me alarmed by this call. I reassure them that the crow is fine, it’s just eating.

A family of crows is intent on feeding on top of the medical building that I can view from my apartment window. Every so often throughout the day, the dying call wails from the young crow as it’s being fed.

I finally carved out some time to watch the feeding in action. I can easily identify the one young crow by its constant calls to be fed, as well as the very red, fleshy mouth it displays while holding its beak open waiting for sustenance.

I watched as a parent unsuccessfully pecked at a very stale piece of bread. I imagined it gave up on the bread when it meandered over to dripping water coming from an air conditioning pipe. I chuckled as it used the meager drops to wet its feathers. But wait, it wasn’t only getting a bath – it put the stale bread into the little puddle that the droplets were forming! That didn’t seem to be working too well, so it stuck the whole piece of bread into a sizable slot where the water was running. Success! Moistened bread for the win!

I tried to take pictures of the crows while this behavior played out a number of times over the last couple of weeks; however, every time I open the dirty windows to get a clear shot, the spooked crows fly away. I briefly thought about setting up a blind, but thought better of it when I realized that the patrons of the building might think I was spying on them. For now, I will enjoy their visits in real time.