Nature

October 4, 2026October 2, 2026

Dawn on the Marsh

It seems like there are hundreds of these Passerine flitting among the branches

A glance out the office window reveals more gold than green in the aspen branches. The feeder is getting constant visits, including a couple of Gray Squirrels.

Mornings start with a hint of frost on the ground . . . October has brought Fall to the high desert.

This week we returned to Summer Lake, hoping to be there before the gate on the Link Canal dike was closed.

First light plays across the reeds and grasses

We were too late. The hunters had even started to stage their RV’s for waterfowl season.

Another aspect of the trip was to catch a sunrise, capturing that early morning light. That was a success.

At dawn there is a mist on the ponds, dramatically long shadows and a orange hue to the light. This make for some really nice photos.

The bird population is up from our last visit, even if we couldn’t get to the east side along River Ranch and Schoolhouse Lake.

However, activity really doesn’t pick up until mid-morning, so mostly we took in the landscape and spied on perching birds.

In late January or even mid-February, when the hunters have cleared out we’ll make a winter visit.

Stealthy predator using the tall grass for cover

There is plenty to keep us busy in other parts of the state through the rest of these beautiful fall days.

September 27, 2026October 2, 2026

River Time

Just noticed someone is eating our Aspen leaves

The leaves on our aspen trees are a mix of green and yellow, mornings are often frosty, and the bird feeder needs refilling every day. Transition to fall is underway and we’re making the most of it.

A shaded spot by the river to keep an eye on everyone

Trips to the Crooked are spaced weekly, between an occasional rain storm. It’s easy to get on the river just before the sun crests the canyon walls and triggers a morning caddisfly hatch.

Layers are mandatory, but our warm sweaters are folded away by mid-morning. This also is about the time Tip is suggesting it’s time to have some snacks.

There is a day use area fifteen minutes upstream from Prineville that is a regular stop and these last few weeks we’ve mostly been setting up our chairs there.

That crest makes this Merganser look like he’s facing into a wind

A ‘Raft’ of mergansers has been in the area for most of those days.

Occasionally we see the osprey. Often he perches on a snag that dominates the opposite bank. This day the bare branches hold a heron, briefly, but no osprey.

Bull Thistle takes on a lethal quality in the Fall

Some time in mid-summer an SUV spotted JQ adjusting focus on a telephoto lens and pulled over to chat . . . photog to photog.

The gist of that conversation was there’s a Mountain Goat that inhabits the top reaches of the basalt columns on the far side of the river. Since then we’ve scanned the canyon wall, but never spotted him.

A week ago a fisherman chatted with Jack and besides sharing fly pattern information, also pointed out that the goat was on a ledge, over there.

“Fourth ledge down and just right of that outcrop . . . “

It’s no easy tasks to direct someones attention to a small white dot hunkered down on a rock face that is identical to the hundreds of other outcroppings and a mile away.

There are a lot of spaces for a goat to hang out on the canyon wall

But I got the general location. Once back at the car, with the aid of binoculars and JQ’s Telephoto lens we located a mound of white fur nestled in the rocks.

With a better idea of where to look and what to look for this week, we tried again. Pretty quickly we found him standing, exposed with the morning light making it easier to get a photo.

Fall continues to offer a smattering of rainy days amid stretches of clear sky, making it easy to pick out a good river day . . . or whatever outing we feel like. This is by far our favorite time of year.

September 13, 2026September 12, 2026

The Shift into Fall

One of many Woolly Bears hanging out on the river’s edge.

Smoke finally lifted over a favorite haunt and we are back on the Crooked River. There were days of on and off rain, which likely had some influence over the reduction of wildfire haze.

Our chairs are tucked into a shady spot. The cooler is opened long enough to pull out the boxes with quarter cut sandwiches and cold drinks.

The winter migration is picking up and the trees are filled with a greater number and variety of birds.

Osprey

Not sure what to call the season; late summer, early fall? We’re at a transition that is neither, but without a title of its own. We like this time of year.

Labor Day’s over and the crowds have started to thin. The cold of the morning can be warmed with a sweater that is easy to shed when the afternoon sun warms things up.

But it never gets that August hot that drives you off the river by noon. We’re back at the point where you can spend the whole day on the stream.

I rig up a couple of rods, one for wet flies in the morning, the other ready for the afternoon hatch.

The river level keeps going down just as the reservoir dramatically drops, but the fishing remains good.

A bunch of Wooly Bears (caterpillar form of the Isabella tiger moth) cling to riverside branches. If they are a harbinger of winter it would seem the El-Nino predictions are on target.

The weather reports are for mild clear days ahead . . . we take that as a sign to get on the road and enjoy all the fall weather we can.

September 6, 2026September 9, 2026

Early Birding

The chorus of geese, heard before seen, pass over head. Their wedged flight pattern becomes a frequent sight at the end of summer.

Seasons shift and with the coming of winter migratory birds are now frequent visitors to the back yard feeding station.

We make regular trips to the wildlife refuge at Summer Lake, but always make a point of being there during this time of year.

The marshes are starting to draw passengers off the Pacific Flyway. This week was the first of those visits.

The wild fire plume had shifted to the north and east pulling smoke away from the summer lake area.

Though, when we came over Picture Rock Pass there were remnants of a recent fire.

Not huge but enough to threaten some homes on the western edge of the lake. Hot spots were still smoldering.

Marsh ponds weren’t teaming with birds, but we did see Ibis, Stilts and Dippers. Water levels are low and the refuge management has moved most of it to the south west corner.

Our standard visit is to drive in the headquarters entrance a bit south of town then follow the loop road turning north along Link Canal and exit on the north edge of the city of Summer Lake.

There was no one else around so we pulled into River Ranch camp site, found shade in a willow grove and had some lunch.

Sitting on the bank of the Ana River we were entertained by a group of Passerines hopping between branches and reeds.

In a few weeks the bird count will grow and while the week’s worth of rain, forecast, won’t make much of a dent in the water volume it will make the road a lot less dusty for our visit.

August 30, 2026August 29, 2026

A Mountain Stream

At least for Central Oregon the wildfire smoke has subsided, that is . . . there are fewer hundred plus AQI (air quality index) days.

The wind in your hair on a summer day is joyful

Our particular area remains smoke free, but the August heat bears down in the afternoon. A good reason to seek higher elevations and denser forest cover.