More of Malheur

After our first partial day in Malheur NWR, we were ready for another full day. The day started with lovely views of low-lying fog over the wide open marshes, and a Sandhill Crane starting its early morning foraging for its breakfast. We also saw a large herd of Pronghorn prancing up a hill after taking a quick glance down at us.

We drove through the country roads searching for some grassy sparrows, particularly Sagebrush Sparrow, which would have been a lifer for us. But that lifer would have to wait. Instead, we saw a number of White-Crowned sparrows, the dominant sparrow of this whole trip, which is funny since we hadn’t seen any when we visited Malheur last year. But the timing was a bit off as we were here mid April this year versus the end of May last year. But some birds we did see again, and gladly so - like Swainson's Hawk.

Swainson's Hawk

Cabbage White Butterfly

Old wagon at Frenchglen

We did manage to see more of our other sagey friend, the Sage Thrasher. We even found one that had a bill deformity. I had been watching it with my naked eyes trying to figure out if it was the one singing because the sound was coming from that direction, but I couldn’t see its bill move. And then once I looked at it through my bins, I could see that it was indeed opening its bill to sing, but it barely looked like it since its bill was crisscrossed. I thought out loud, “Oh, that poor guy is never gonna land a mate looking like that.” He obviously survived this long to feed himself, but I don’t foresee any females cozying up to him. We also saw another male Sage Thrasher doing some really cool wing displays, likely to either attract a mate or deter competing males.

Sage Thrasher with bill deformity

Another view of deformed bill

Sage Thrasher doing wing display

We saw some other usual suspects as we rounded these back roads, including a lovely pair of California Quails. I never get tired of seeing these anxious little pudgies scooting around – the male with his distinguished head plume and the subdued female with her stylish little top knot.

Male California Quail 

Female California Quail

Majestic looking, curious horses running towards us to check us out

As we kept driving past field after field on Ruh Red Road, I suddenly shouted out, “STOP! I think I see a Burrowing Owl!” We had to back up a bit, and I was right! I knew that silhouette anywhere. And right before the owl ducked down into his hole, I noticed a second one! They both gave us that “I’m not feeling it” staredown, but we giggled in delight for finding not just one, but TWO Burrowing Owls on our own. I recall scanning every field in Malheur last year with no luck, but we got them this time!

Burrowing Owls

Northern Flicker

We rented a Tamron 150-600mm lens for this trip, and it had paid off well so far with the great shots we got of the Mountain Bluebirds on our way to Malheur. And now we were also able to capture the brightest shades of yellow on the demon-sounding Yellow-Headed Blackbirds, the adorable, mischievous-looking Horned Larks, and the sing-songy Western Meadowlarks. Malheur seems to be the optimal location for getting great shots of Western Meadowlarks, as was evident last year, too. 

Yellow-Headed Blackbird among yellow flowers

We also got our best looks at Canvasbacks and Redheads swimming around a flooded field. These are definitely some of the prettiest ducks with their glossy red heads. Canvasbacks especially have such a commanding presence about them with their large bodies and long, tapered bills. Oh, and just for good measure, we got an awesome glimpse of a Wilson’s Snipe at eye level sitting up on a pole right off the road. Surprisingly, he stayed there a good minute to let us snap pics of him.

Pair of Canvasbacks

Pair of Redheads

Wilson's Snipe

After a nice full morning of birding in Malheur, we headed down to Fields, OR – population 7. This tiny town is known for being a literal tiny oasis in the desert, and it can turn up a number of crazy migrants in the little stand of trees. On our way down there, we saw a Badger scrambling among the rocks as we drove, which was super awesome! She disappeared so quickly that we didn’t get a shot of her, but what a cool, unexpected surprise. Another surprise was all of the free-roaming cattle. At one point they caused a bit of a traffic jam.

Old-timey looking photo of a traffic jam between Frenchglen and Fields

Cow Close-up

I think we were still too early in the season and late in the day as we didn’t see much more than a few Yellow Rumps and a Killdeer, as well as a cool little lizard – likely some type of Whiptail. And we also got to enjoy their well-known milkshakes. EVERYONE we met who suggested to come here said we had to get the milkshakes. Not knowing that each one was about 2 pints of ice cream each, we mistakenly each ordered one. And no, we did not finish them.

We got back to our tiny hotel in Frenchglen and wandered around a bit after dinner time. We enjoyed more good looks at a couple of birds we saw quite a bit this trip – Black-Billed Magpie and Say’s Phoebe. We also kept hearing a couple of Great-Horned Owls hooting at each other, and we finally turned them up – one in a tall tree and the other on top of a school building. This one we captured as his throat puffed up while hooting across to his likely mate. I was so glad to finally see this pair after not being able to locate the hooting owls at P Ranch the evening before. It was a great way to end another great day at Malheur. 

Sunset view

Finally capture a good pic of a Black-billed Magpie

Say's Phoebe

Great-Horned Owl hooting

Winter at the Coast

I really can never quite get enough of the coast. It seems like we go at least once if not twice a month. We’d probably go more often if it weren’t a bit of a drive. But when we get there, it’s totally worth it. We have yet to explore more of the northern coast and any of the southern coast of Oregon, but we’ve been very happy with the central coast in our usual spots in Lincoln County. (And we're totally psyched about an upcoming pelagic trip!!! But more of that another time.)

One cool Surf Scoter

Rocky cliffs at Depoe Bay

We usually make a run to three nice birding spots – the Hatfield Marine Science Center estuary trail, the jetty on the Yaquina River, and Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area. And we’ll also pop over to a few of the many bays and state parks along Highway 101 if there’s time.

Northern Pintails coming in for a landing

Pintails and Brant

The last time we headed over to the coast, we were on a mission to find a lifer and a state bird. The first was a reported Ross’s Goose that had been hanging out in a little lake at Beaver Creek State Natural Area. I looked at every “big white bird,” but all I could find were Great Egrets. We waited awhile and checked out a little fussy Marsh Wren and the other geese and ducks around. Finally, in a big flock of Canada Geese that rose up and over to the little lake, I scanned and found THE big white bird I was looking for! The Ross’s Goose was too far to get good photos, but he’s on our list, and that’s what matters.

Marsh Wren in the reeds seeing what all the fuss is about

Although nothing else new at this spot, we did get a great view of a Fox Sparrow and a reliable little Anna’s Hummingbird that zipped by us and politely posed while at the feeder at the nature center at Beaver Creek.

Fox Sparrow looking foxy

Male Anna's Hummingbird

(by Nicholas)

Onward we went to Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area where a Burrowing Owl has been hanging out since about November. Although they are not rare for the state, they are rare on the coast. They usually hang out in Eastern Oregon, but this one has strayed away, but seems content. We dipped or missed finding him our trip to the coast the time before, but with a little help from one of the naturalists on staff at the nature center, we were able to locate the Burrowing Owl in a little nook in the rocks. We have a special place in our hearts for Burrowing Owls as they are the mascot of our grad school alma mater.

Digiscoped pic of the Burrowing Owl

Although the coast of the Pacific Northwest is amazing, one thing I miss about birding the beaches of Florida and Georgia is seeing dolphins just about every time we went out. Luckily, I can get a marine mammal fix with the Harbor Seals and California Sea Lions here. The Harbor Seals are especially adorable and playful. And who couldn’t swoon over an adorable seal pup? Seals and sea lions seem to really know how to live the beachy life – lounging around in the sun or splashing around for fun in the water.

Harbor Seal

Harbor Seals frolicking

The waters have been dominated by black and white and gray this winter, with a splash of brown and buff every so often. We’ve enjoyed watching and hearing the odd sounds of Brants along the estuary trail. They are such dapper geese indeed. And we’ve also picked up a long sought-after duck this winter – the Common Goldeneye. We’ve seen both male and females, but the females usually seem to swim closer. They aren’t as flashy as their male counterparts, and not nearly as devious as their James Bond character-like name suggests. ;-)

Brants

Female Common Goldeneye

I have also loved seeing so many grebes – Eared, Horned, Red-Necked, Western, and good ole Pied-Billed. Of course they’re not showing off their spectacular breeding plumage right now, but still a treat to see so many out and about.

Eared Grebe

Two Horned Grebes and One Eared Grebe

Western Grebes up front, Red-Necked Grebes in the back

The Loons have also been awesome to see so close. The first time we ever saw one was for a split second on a pelagic trip, and other times we saw them off of the beach in Savannah, but far away and not very numerous. But this winter, we’ve seen them fairly close, and up to about a dozen of them along the jetty. Again, their keeping things muted with their winter plumage, but who can complain when they show off the way they do?

Common Loon Splashing about

Common Loon

*Common Loon

And then there are gulls – the bane of my birding life! Well, we recently attended a gull ID workshop to try to get a better handle of the multitude of gulls we see here in the west, which has helped a great deal. But then there are those pesky oddballs that make me pull my hair in frustration! (Figuratively, that is). The parking lot at the jetty is a great place to look at gulls that sit still for you while you study them as they wait for food to fall to the ground.

Brown Pelican 

"Look into my staring lemon eyes!"

We could easily identify an adult Herring Gull with its “staring lemon eye” as stated in Gulls of the Americas by Steve Howell and Jon Dunn. And we were almost sure we had a first cycle Thayer’s Gull in our midst. But when we posted the photo below to a North American Gull ID Facebook page, we caused quite a stir amongst gull experts. Amongst the seventeen comments, some were fine calling it a Thayer’s Gull, others say that the field marks visible were not completely reliable, and then there was the proposition that it was a Glaucous-Winged x Herring Gull Hybrid… WTF?!?! Ugh, I give up! Ok, I don’t really. But gulls are and will probably always be an enigma.

Thayers or Glaucous-WingedxHerring Gull Hybrid… Eh, who knows for sure!?