We spent a few days down in Central Oregon just south of Burns looking at the birds and the countryside. We were near Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, a location where we had volunteered several years ago. The location is noted for birds and in the spring the migration of birds heading north comes through. It is dry and arid country during the summer but with a lot of water in the spring time from the snow melt in the Steens Mountains and along the Blitzen River which originates from there. This bird is a barn swallow and is talking with us.
This is an American Avocet. They use that long bill to sweep the water for small invertebrates. At this point the Avocet is taking a break and resting. This is the breeding plumage and in winter they are very drab and not so colorful. We had initially thought this Avocet was sitting on a nest but later visits indicated that was not so.
Here we have a Bullock's Oriole. These colorful birds are just passing through and most will breed and raise their young further north. Orioles make rather intricate and long nests in which they raise their young and they have a wonderful call and song.
Here we have some home builders. Actually they are cliff swallows and gather mud in their mouths to be used in construction of their nests which are placed under building eaves, under bridges, in cliffs as their name implies or just about anywhere. Sure glad I don't have to fill my mouth with mud to do some work.
In the constructed home we have a happy pair of cliff swallows. It seems that all that mud in your mouth was worth the effort. It seems to meet their needs. The mud will be formed in various styles based on the location and the sheltering that is needed.
This is an interesting image showing a barn swallow facing us with the rusty red chest and a cliff swallow with their back to us. There are lots and lots of swallows in the area catching some of the bugs and raising their young. Unfortunately they don't seems to do a great job at catching mosquitoes as there were lots of those biting things everywhere.
There is truth to be learned here. There is a internet service, some believe, provided by Cornell University called eBird where people can post information about the birds they saw, where they saw them etc. What is not very well known is that this is really eBird Central and not Cornell. The high tech antennae provides the data link and inside the nest box are the servers and data storage facilities. The tree swallow is the keeper of the information. He edits and verifies all entries. Who better to know about birds than a bird? Now you know the truth about the real eBird.
We headed down the road going towards a small community named Diamond. This shows we are in cattle country and if they want to drive the steaks on the hoof down the road so be it. They are big enough and numerous enough that the road is theirs. We had been in the middle of a similar cattle drive with Rodger and Ginger, two good friends, some years back. The answer is no, the cowboys do not come back ad clean up the cow droppings after the cattle drive is over.
Somewhat recently we had purchased a new to us truck to pull the trailer. It was a great price, excellent condition, and and bigger and stronger than our previous vehicle. Scott, the salesman and a good friend, said "The red truck will be fine, You have nothing to worry about, It will serve you well, and that's no Bull". Guess he had not thought about the middle of a cattle drive, or maybe he had?. So I am thinking, "Thanks Scott", Do bulls really charge Red, and will the owner of the cattle pay to repair my damaged truck and the hospital bills?
This is a view across the wetland area near a location called Buena Vista. In years past the area was teeming with waterfowl while this year hardly any ducks could be found. It seemed that the all the various species were there but no great numbers of birds. Not sure if the previous drought years had caused the birds to migrate elsewhere or all the water around had them dispersed or some other cause but we sure did not see a lot of ducks.
There were some ducks here and there. This is a Northern Shoveler, a male of the species. The long bill has a mesh work of filter type membranes and you will often see them swimming around with their bills in the water getting animal and plant pieces from the water. He is a colorful bird.
All the birds are not brightly colored. This is a Loggerhead Shrike. It has some interesting habits. It will catch a grasshopper and skewer it on a thorn from which it will eat the insect. It will also catch and eat other small birds. Not brightly colored but quite a contrast in its markings.
Back to the coloration. This is a Townsend's Warbler which is migrating through. It will nest and raise it's young in the higher mountain forests. The winter has been spent in southern Mexico and the summer may find it as far north as in Alaska. Quite a migration for such a small bird.
The White-faced Ibis is named because of the white outline along their face when in breeding plumage. There are lots of Ibis on the refuge feeding in the marshy grasses and flooded fields. They feed on aquatic insects and their larvae and will eat many crayfish and earthworms. Also eats frogs, snails, small fish, leeches, spiders. Seems like it will eat about anything it can find in the damp and wet marsh.
This last bird is not a bird rather a yellow bellied marmot. It appeared to be living under a bridge just before you get to Page Springs Campground at the southern end of the refuge. It would be out on the bridge abutment sunning itself in the warm spring. It is also sometimes called a "Whistle Pig" becuse of its shape and the whistling noise it makes when alarmed.
We had a great tour around Malheur and the surrounding areas. Each year seems to show something different. It was great to be outside enjoying this great, grand, and beautiful country. Hope you enjoyed this post.
George & Deanna
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