Oregon Day IV: Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge

With my Crater Lake exploration cut short I was a bit ahead of schedule on June 23rd. I had initially planned an evening visit to Klamath Marsh to listen for my lifer Yellow Rail, but at this pace I would get there early afternoon. According to my birding guide this expansive marshland hosts over 100 territorial Yellow Rails, in addition to an impressive list of other wetland birds. I therefore took my time and made multiple stops along the way. The landscape is very different on the eastern slope of the Cascades, and is dominated by deep river gorges, Ponderosa pine forest with Sage brush understory and open ranch land. Choosing a 20 mile detour on gravel roads instead of following Route 97 all the way to Klamath Marsh was a decision I will never regret. I got great views of Mountain Bluebirds, Townsend's Solitaires, Black-backed Woodpeckers, Green-tailed Towhees, one of the western sub-species of White-breasted Nuthatches, American Magpies, and a very photogenic Western Wood-pewee.

Green-tailed Towhee (above) and Western Wood-pewee (below):

"Slender-billed" White-breasted nuthatch:

 Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge:

 The dusty gravel road intersected Silver Lake Rd. just east of Klamath Marsh. Silver Lake Rd. cuts straight across the vast marshland, with water channels on both sides. Thankfully, I had the road pretty much to myself so I could zig-zag back and forth between lanes and use the car as camouflage (again - a white car is not optimal for birding trips although covered in red dust at this point!....).
Flocks of Black Terns were foraging over the marsh and often made passes along the roadside canals. I hunkered down beside the road shoulder to get them in silhouette and nailed a few birds at close range. From the reeds sounded a chorus of Soras, Virginia Rails, Pied-billed Grebes, Marsh Wrens, Red-winged Blackbirds and Yellow-headed Blackbirds. The open water in the canals held Wood Ducks, Cinnemon Teals, Gadwalls, American Coots, and Great Blue Herons.

 Black Tern (above) and Yellow-headed Blackbird (below):

Female Gadwall:

A male Ring-necked Duck (look closely and you can actually see the purple ring on it's neck!):

Even after spending a couple of hours crossing the marsh the clock was still only 5 PM with many hours until darkness. After conferring with maps and birding guides I decided I was better off heading N towards Bend and put my faith in another Yellow Rail location at Big Marsh along hwy 58 west of Crescent. Leaving Klamath Marsh I passed some Bison and cattle pastures that had a pair of Sandhill Cranes with young, an unexpected Long-billed Curlew guarding its territory, Horned Larks and Western Meadowlarks.

I arrived at Big Marsh around 7 PM and had to wait another couple of hours until darkness, so I put on my wellies and walked the edge of the marsh. As I was leaving the car, a cow Elk walked right past me heading out into the marsh to graze.

 I ended up standing out in the marsh almost until it got dark, and what an incredible experience it was under the full moon lit sky: three American Bitterns booming back and forth, serenating Soras, Virginia Rails, Savannah Sparrows and Yellow-headed Blackbirds. And then suddenly out of nowhere; a YELLOW RAIL flushed right next to me and dropped down twenty feet away!! I never saw or heard it again. On my way out several Common Nighthawks started displaying over the woods, but despite several stops I didn't hear any owls.

 I barely made it to Bend by 11 PM and checked into a Super8 hotel for the next two nights.
What a looooong day!!

Oregon Day IV: The Majestic Crater Lake

After a three day long journey along the coast I finally reached the ultimate destination of my trip, Crater Lake National Park. This park represents a world of contrasts: The enormous volcanic crater is filled with one of the clearest and deepest lakes in the world and the jagged rim lies at about 8000 feet (2100 meters!) above sea level. The park receives an average of 44 feet (or 14.5 meters) of snow annually and the snow often lasts long into the summer months (no kidding!). They have constructed a 31.5 mile long two-lane road all around the rim of the crater, but unfortunately this spring had been record cold so half the rim loop was closed off due to snow.

I entered the park through the northern entrance from Diamond Lake and passed through the Pumice Desert, a vast area covered in toxic volcanic debris from ancient eruptions that has prevented the vegetation from reclaiming the land.

Along the edges of the desert I spotted Gray Flycatcher, Cassin's Finches, Pine Siskins, Chipping Sparrows, and Red Crossbills. (PS. I do not recommend renting a white car when birding central Oregon.....)

As I climbed higher towards the crater rim it became apparent that I would not be doing much hiking in this park.....

And there it was! What a view!

 Look at that reflection!

 The belly of the beast on Wizard Island:

The bird that I had the greatest hopes of seeing up here was the Gray-crowned Rosy-finch. However, I never expected it to be the first bird seen when pulling up alongside the rim!!

 

This little guy, a Golden-mantled Ground-squirrel, ran up and down the steep edge of the rim looking for treats every time a car swung by.

Another common sight at rest stops along the rim were small groups of Cassin's Finch:

The air space over the crater was patrolled by Turkey Vultures (below) and Bald Eagles:

I totally fell in love with this guy. He was just sitting in a tree next to the road waiting for someone to feed him, and did not hesitate accepting bread crumbs from my hand:

Had I known that the eastern half of the rim road was closed off at the southern access road I would have spent more time at the northern and western end of the crater, but since I would have to go all the way back the same way and the roads were getting crowded with tourists from all around the world I decided to just keep going to my next destination. The deep snow cover had kept a lot of the normal residents away from the higher altitude areas, so I figured I had seen most of the species possible to see in the Park.

Next stop Klamath Marsh!

Diamond Lake is a true jewel!

According to the Oregon birding guide I found on the internet Diamond Lake was supposed to host breeding Barrow's Goldeneyes and Eared Grebes with the Lake Creek area listed as the best viewing point of the lake. The guide also specified the western shore of the lake as the best forest birding area. With mostly fishermen guests, the Diamond Lake Resort facilities were up and running at 5 AM. It was a beautiful clear morning, with a crisp cold mountain air that I have not experienced in decades since living in central Norway. After all, the lake lies 5100 feet above sea level!

I grabbed a cup of coffee and drove the short distance to the western end of the lake. The sun rays still barely touched the mountain tops, so my plan was to enjoy my morning coffee while scanning the waters with the scope. I didn't even bring the camera with me on the short walk down to the shoreline. I almost spilled my coffee when I rounded the corner and stood face to face with a pair of Barrow's Goldeneyes lying a few feet from shore!! I dropped everything and ran back to the car for the camera and made it back just in time to catch a few shots of them before they swam further from shore:

I could not find any Eared Grebes on the lake, but I saw a male Bufflehead and both Bald Eagle and Osprey patrolling the lake shore. As the sun began to heat up and light conditions improved, I started birding the hillside along the western shore of the lake. The woods were teeming with birds and one photo opportunity after another appeared in front of me:
Early on I encountered a curious flock of Gray Jays that refused to come out of the shadow of the dense canopies, so the picture quality is so and so...

Red-breasted Nuthatch (above) and Mountain Chickadee (below):

A male Red-breasted Sapsucker worked vigorously on this tree trunk to access the energy-rich sap running inside the bark. He would return repeatedly with a few minute intervals to lick the sap before other woodpeckers, chickadees or Hummingbirds stole it from him:

In the distance I heard the low-frequency drumming calls of what I suspected was a Sooty Grouse, a potential life bird. I started chasing the sound through the dense forest, but had a hard time making progress uphill because I kept running out of breath. It took a while before I realized why I was in such a bad shape; the altitude was getting to me..... As I sneaked closer and closer I suddenly realized I had past it, because the sounds were coming from behind me. Turned out the bird was up in the trees! A gorgeous male Sooty Grouse was displaying above me, showing off the bright yellow air sacks on its neck that made the drumming sounds when he forced the air out of them. Cool!!

 A Steller's Jay wanted to see what the fuzz was all about:

 This female Western Tanager was foraging close to ground next to the trail:

 Oregon Juncos were the most common songbird in the woods:

I had hoped to find an American Tree-toed Woodpecker in these woods, but settled for Pileated, Black-backed, Hairy, Downy, Northern Flicker and two Red-breasted Sapsuckers. I wanted to make the most of the great light, so I decided to move on to Crater Lake National Park. Stay tuned!

Oregon Day III, Part II: I see mountains!

First, to those of you who aren't sure how the Orange-crowned Warbler got it's name: 

After a long drive along hwy 38 and 138 via I-5 S, the landscape finally started flattening out with several snow-covered mountains towering over the horizon. Along the way I picked up a few new species for the trip, such as Peregrine Falcon and Red-breasted Sapsucker. The sapsucker actually had a nest right next to the highway, and I watched it catch swarming ants in the air over the road and bring beak-fulls of food to its young inside the nest cavity:

Family groups of Ravens were common to see and hear everywhere along the highways.

Mt. Thielsen as viewed from Lemolo Lake:

A male Dark-eyed Junco of the western "Oregon Junco" form:

A male Yellow-rumped Warbler of the western "Audubon's Warbler" form:

After an enjoyable evening at Lemolo Lake I decided to try find accommodation for the night at the nearby Diamond Lake Resort, only 20 min. drive away from Crater Lake National Park. I thought I got a good deal for getting a studio room for less than $100, but when it turned out my room had not been maid after the previous guest they gave me the keys to a big cabin with wood-burning fireplace, cable-TV, full kitchen and two bedrooms!! Needless to say, I was very comfortable that night:-) The resort also had a well-stocked store with a good selection of foods, snacks, and adult beverages.
The resort grounds had nesting Cliff Swallows, Tree Swallows, Pine Siskins, and Brewer's Blackbirds. Walking around between the buildings I was constantly attacked by adult blackbirds defending their nests or recently-fledged young:

In proper light the iridescent plumage of the male Brewer's Blackbird comes to life:

Coastal Oregon Day III: Alcid galore at Seal Rock and Cape Perpetua

June 22 I woke up to a clear and crisp morning and was on Highway 101 heading south well before sunrise. I was planning to bird Cape Perpetua State Park this morning, but could not resist stopping at a pull-off with a great view of the shoreline after passed the sign for Seal Rock State Park. I had a good feeling that I might see some seabirds close to shore before the sun rose. Indeed, flock after flock of Murres, Rhinoceros Auklets, single Cassin's Auks, and small groups of Marbled Murrelets passed by. Marbled Murrelets were also swimming and foraging close to shore after spending the night at their nests deep in the forests inland. I also located a lone Xantus's Murrelet on the water, a rare visitor to Oregon waters after their breeding season in Southern California. Flocks of Black, White-winged and Surf Scoters also passed by heading North. On the rocks and beach I spotted several Black Oystercatchers, Pigeon Guillemots, Glaucous-winged Gull, and three Harlequin Ducks.
Seal Rock: 

 Adult Glaucous-winged Gull:

The viewpoint located at the top of Cape Perpetua State Park provided spectacular views of the coastline and surrounding forest, while listening to the songs of Swainson's Thrush, Hermit Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Red Crossbill and Black-headed Grosbeak.

Swainson's Thrush (above) and Hermit Warbler (below):

 A flock of Evening Grosbeaks roamed the forests around the viewpoint and at one point they landed in a spruce next to the parking lot:

This handsome fellow responded to my soft whistle imitation of the Northern Pygmy Owl:

More information about this park can be found here: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/siuslaw/recreation/tripplanning/capeperpetua/index.shtml.

South of Cape Perpetua I passed the famous Sealion Caves in Florence, and made a quick stop at a pull-off to do a last minute sweep of the ocean. Right below there was a big colony of Brandt's Cormorants and this female sealion (not sure if it is a Steller's or Californian):

The Heceta Head Lighthouse was one of the very last views I got of the Pacific coast before reaching the town of Reedsport. There I headed east on Highway 38 along the Umqua River inland towards the mountainous Central Oregon.

To anyone planning a birding trip to coastal Oregon I strongly recommend the fabulous web-resources located here: http://www.oregoncoastbirding.com/

Stay tuned for part II of day III appearing soon on a web browser near you!!