|
Malheur: the Ultimate Western Birding Experience
With a herd of cows and a half dozen Mexican vaqueros,
Peter French arrived in southeast Oregon in 1872 bent on building
a cattle empire. He was wildly successful and equally unpopular, paying
with his life when an angry competitor shot him off his horse.
With a pair of binoculars, a spotting scope, and a Canon camera with
a 300mm lens, I arrived at French's P Ranch -- 130 years later --
bent on finding a reported magnolia warbler, a rare vagrant in these parts.
Alas, I was wildly unsuccessful. The warbler had flown, but it had been
another great day of birding at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge,
a 30-mile-long section of marshland that puts a green patch on an otherwise
dingy-colored map.
Today, Pete French's wet spot in the high desert offers an oasis for
birds and birders alike, with a twist of the Old West.
By order of President Theodore Roosevelt, the refuge was designated in
1908 to protect egrets and other water birds from slaughter by plume hunters.
Since then, birders have flocked to the 185,000-acre refuge to
catch glimpses of the 300-plus species that have been recorded here.
I've been hooked ever since I first experienced the place from
the seat of a bicycle at the age of6. After pedaling on the bumpy gravel
roads for hours in the hot sun, with a sore backside and a sunburnt neck,
I was literally stopped in my tracks when a great
horned owl swooped out of the willows and flew within inches of my
head. For me, that was the beginning of a long love affair with the land
and the birds.
Birds at Malheur
One of the most expansive wetland complexes in North America, the refuge
sweeps across an intricate network of marshy meadows, ponds, sloughs,
lakes, and wetlands up into rimrocks and sagebrush-covered hills.
This bird sanctuary is shaped like a capital T, with Harney, Mud, and
Malheur lakes forming the horizontal bar of the T, and the Donner und
Blitzen River threading down the center of the vertical bar of the T.
Much of the refuge, with the exception of the lakes, is intensely
developed with manmade structures, such as dams and ditches, that
manipulate the water to create wildlife habitat. Water levels vary naturally
from year to year, with an average of about 45,000 acres of water covering
the refuge per year.
For birds breeding and wintering in the area, or just passing through
on their migration along the Pacific Flyway, Malheur offers a variety
of habitats and a safe haven of greens and blues in a parched land of
yellows and browns. Here, majestic sandhill cranes, blizzards of snow
geese, a full palette of song birds, congregations of avocets
and stilts, and a laundry list of geese and ducks go about their business
under the sharp, watchful eyes of the occasional raptor. Malheur is especially
known for its cranes. You'll find it's worth the trip just to witness
the graceful mating rituals of the sandhills. I have watched spellbound
as these huge birds repeatedly and delicately arched their necks to the
ground, caught a bit of cow dung in their beaks, and then flung the morsel
into the wind.
Although a variety of birds may be seen year-round at Malheur, the
most productive time to visit is during migration, in the spring or
fall, when as many as 100 species can be seen in a day. Spring waterfowl
migration begins in February and peaks in March, bringing lesser sandhill
cranes, snow and Ross' geese,
northern shovelers, cinnamon
teal, northern pintails, and buffleheads. Songbird migration peaks
in mid-May, filling the air with the trills and notes of yellow warblers,
Wilson's warblers, Bullock's orioles, black-headed
grosbeaks, yellow-breasted chats, sage sparrows, western
meadowlarks, and yellow-headed
blackbirds. Shorebirds on the refuge are most numerous in fall, when
mudflats created by receding water levels attract thousands of black-necked
stilts and American avocets,
as well as long-billed curlews, long-billed
dowitchers, greater and lesser yellowlegs, and the occasional Baird's
or solitary sandpiper.
A couple of Pete French's original buildings, including his innovative
"round barn," remain on the refuge. Some cows are still here,
too. One very black night, while driving the backroads in search of common
poorwills, I very nearly totaled the car on a close encounter with a very
black cow standing in the middle of the road. You never know what's around
the next corner in this enchanting place. And that's what keeps it interesting
for birders who return year after year.
I know some birders who have made the pilgrimage for 30 years. Every year,
during spring and fall migration, Malheur beckons me, too. It's too bad
that "malheur" means "misfortune" in French, for birders
who know Malheur consider themselves very fortunate indeed.
A checklist of the birds of Malheur NWR can be found
at: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/othrdata/chekbird/r1/malheur.htm
Where to Go Birding
My trips to Malheur always start at headquarters and your trip should
start here, too. Headquarters consists of a collection of old stone
buildings snuggled under a cool grove of cottonwood trees and situated
next to a pond on the north end of the refuge. Many species flock to the
trees, including orioles, woodpeckers, thrushes, warblers, sparrows,
owls, and finches. On
the pond, you can see ducks, herons, avocets,
and pelicans.
Headquarters is also a hot spot for rare birds during migration. Many
species of "Eastern" vagrants have been known to show up regularly.
Wayward rose-breasted
grosbeaks, black-throated
blue warblers, summer tanagers, and other unusual birds have been
spotted here. In this crowded corner, not everybody gets along. One fall
day, I rounded a tree trunk to find a great
horned owl on the ground in mortal combat over a snake with a celebrated
barred owl that had shown up the
previous day. The two hissed and flapped, and within a few minutes the
great horned owl had won the snake and the fight.
The friendly headquarters staff distributes free species checklists and
can point you towards the best birding spots. Also, check out the daily
sightings board to see what other birders have discovered. Hot sightings
usually are posted here.
While at headquarters, stop in at the small George M. Benson Memorial
Museum, a walk-in, one-room affair packed floor to ceiling with old-fashioned,
mothball-scented specimens, wings, and eggs encased in glass. About 200
mounted specimens of local birds peer out from their perches, providing
excellent close-up views and a chance to study their field marks. The
museum is free and open from sunrise to sunset.
Drive south along the gravel Center Patrol Road from headquarters,
roughly following the meandering Donner und Blitzen River (German for
"thunder and lightning") through sagebrush and marsh country.
It's best to travel by car, which affords a natural blind both for watching
and photographing the birds. Most of the roads are gravel and somewhat
washboarded, but passable with a passenger car (make sure you have a full
tank and a good spare tire). The more adventurous can make the trip by
bicycle, but the road is bumpy and the birds flush easily. Along the route,
keep an eye out for sage thrashers and short-eared owls (in the evening),
and watch the marshes for black-crowned night-herons, snowy egrets, northern
harriers, and many other birds. Stop at Wright's Pond to look for sandhill
cranes, black and Forster's terns, pied-billed grebes, and cinnamon and
blue-winged teal.
At the Buena Vista ponds about 15 miles south of headquarters, plan a
longer stop. Scan the marshes and ponds for American bitterns, trumpeter
swans, great blue herons, great egrets, and ruddy ducks. You might want
to use a spotting scope to see the far reaches of the ponds. From here,
keep going west to Highway 205 and park at the Buena Vista Overlook. At
this high vantage point in the rimrock, you can peer out over the vast
marshlands and catch glimpses of cliff swallows, yellow-headed
blackbirds, Say's phoebes,
and Bullock's orioles. In the evening just before dark, this is a good
spot to hear the distinctive poor-will call of common poorwills.
Next, head south on Highway 205 for a few miles and take the turnoff
to Krumbo Reservoir. A rugged drive to this barren desert lake may reward
you with views of the deeper-water ducks and the occasional loon or two.
Loggerhead shrikes and chukars nest in the sagebrush along the road.
Backtrack along the road, then head south to Benson Pond, where tall cottonwood
trees mark an old homestead. The trees host a family of great
horned owls and are often filled with the cheerful sounds of songbirds.
Reintroduced trumpeter swans nest on the pond, along with black and Forster's
terns, pied-billed grebes, and many species of ducks.
Now, take the highway south to the little town of Frenchglen, where you
can get a snack at the old-fashioned Mercantile or dine at the historic
Frenchglen Hotel. The cottonwoods around town attract common species such
as varied thrushes, Bullock's orioles, and belted kingfishers, as well
as rare vagrants. I once found an adult male black-throated
blue warbler here, half a continent away from its home range.
Continue east to P Ranch, which sits near the base of the refuge.
The spirit of Pete French lingers in this place, where I have often marveled
at the amazing, slightly eerie sight of dozens of turkey vultures roosting
on the old metal fire tower. It's as if the vultures wait to avenge the
bygone rancher's death.
Unlike many of the birds on the refuge, the vultures oblige photographers.
When you've shot up your film, drive the short way to Page Springs Campground.
Though officially just outside the refuge, Page Springs is a must-see
for its plentiful, colorful, and relatively tame avian life, including
Say's phoebe, canyon wren,
common nighthawk, yellow-breasted
chat, and long-eared owl, which populate the rocks and riparian areas
bordering the campground. A nature trail leads from the campground through
a lovely juniper-studded canyon up to a rocky bluff from which you can
gaze for miles. Nashville warblers, ash-throated flycatchers, and rock
wrens can be found in the canyon. Another trail leads from the end of
the campground along the Donner und Blitzen River, fringed by willows
and green grass, with possibilities of spotted
sandpiper, osprey, and bushtit.
More about birding at Malheur can be found at:
http://donb.furfly.net/malheur/
Farther Afield in southeast Oregon
Farther afield, drive from Page Springs to the top of Steens Mountain
(almost 10,000 feet!) in late summer after snowmelt. The spectacular desert
views from the summit are well worth the effort, and you may be doubly
rewarded with a sighting of a black
rosy-finch along the rim. The Steens Mountain drive follows a loop
with the western side more passable for passenger cars than the eastern
side. At the base of the mountain lies the desolate sun-baked Alvord Desert,
a perfectly flat and lifeless expanse, drastically different from the
lush refuge.
South of the Alvord Desert, the tiny ranch community of Fields
offers modest accommodations and more birding opportunities. The Fields
Oasis, a pond surrounded by luxurious trees and bushes, is a good spot
to find great horned owls, northern rough-winged swallows, common nighthawks,
and, in migration, the odd vagrant.
The largest city close to the refuge is Burns, located about 60 miles
north of P Ranch. Burns offers a variety of dining and sleeping accommodations
as well as more opportunities for birding. In town, the sewage ponds are
a must, with ruddy ducks, buffleheads, northern pintails, green-winged
teal, and the occasional common or Barrow's goldeneye. Nearby, abandoned
lumber mill buildings harbor barn and great
horned owls. California quail roam the streets in such numbers that
the Burns Christmas Bird Count usually tallies more quail than any other
count in North America. Odd birds occasionally show up in the residential
areas of town, including a well-publicized albino robin that stayed a
few weeks in one neighborhood.
Just south of town, numerous flooded fields and feed lots in the spring
attract thousands of sandhill cranes and snow geese. Park on the side
of the road and set up a spotting scope to watch these graceful birds
feed and rest on their way north. You may get some stunning photographs,
too.
East of Burns, the sagebrush stretches out over wide open spaces. Driving
along the highway, keep an eye up on the power poles for golden and bald
eagles, red-tailed hawks, ferruginous hawks, prairie falcons, and other
raptors. But also scan the ground. Once, driving along this highway, I
spotted a burrowing owl
sitting way out in the middle of a field. I stopped the car to get a better
look. Several hours later, after slithering on my stomach through the
cow dung, I was staring at its yellow eyes at close range through a long
camera lens.
Heading north of Burns, you suddenly find yourself in the mountains,
surrounded by a thick Ponderosa Pine forest. The cool mountain air is
a pleasant change from the hot desert. A convenient place to find birds
is Idylwild Campground, where white-headed woodpeckers nest every year.
For one or two years, they made nest holes and raised a family in the
back of a wooden bench in the campground, tolerating the humans who rested
there. Other mountain species include Cassin's vireos, Steller's
jays, Clark's nutcrackers, pygmy nuthatches, and (at night) flammulated
owls.
The annual John Scharff Migratory Bird Festival & Art Show,
sponsored by the Harney County Chamber of Commerce, also can help you
become more acquainted with the birds in the area. This spring weekend
event offers a variety of tours, workshops, and activities for everyone
from beginners to life-long enthusiasts. A highlight of the festival is
the early morning sage grouse
tour. Every year, a group of hardy tourgoers braves the cold for the hour-long
drive in a crowded van over rough terrain to a known lek that appears
to be in the middle of nowhere. On my first trip, one cold April morning,
the snow was too deep for the males to display and we saw just a lone
female, which promptly flew away. I since went back to that lek and was
thrilled by the sight of half a dozen males strutting ridiculously around
the sagebrush, air-sacs puffed up, gurgling affectionately to the females.
More info about this festival can be found at:
http://www.harneycounty.com/BirdFest.htm
Although the birds bring me to Malheur, I am also drawn by the place itself,
the crisp scent of sage on the air, the crack of a late summer lightning
bolt, the golden beauty of slanting sun on rimrock. I have been delighted
by chance encounters with a family of coyotes, a badger, a porcupine,
and a scorpion. The birds are just one part of the magic. One of my most
vivid experiences at Malheur came after a long day of birding, as I contentedly
made my way home into the setting sun. I spied a couple of short-eared
owls some distance from the car. I stopped to watch. One owl left the
group and glided silently in front of me, turning its head and fixing
me with a steady gaze. That's Malheur for you. Even when you think you've
seen it all, there is always one more surprise waiting around the bend.
|
|
