Nature – Page 10

March 16, 2025March 16, 2025

Pacific Flyway Visit

Well, that was a False Spring.

For the past few days we greeted each morning with a thin blanket of snow. It’s gone by early afternoon, but still . . . when will we get a Spring?

Before the winterish weather settled in on us, we managed a trip to Summer Lake.

Expanse of sky above Summer Lake Wildlife Refuge

As migratory birds start to move, we make somewhat regular excursions to the Wildlife Refuge on the Northwestern edge of Summer Lake.

This week there were not a lot of birds to see, but a start to the spring migration through the Pacific Flyway was evident.

Red-winged Blackbirds were starting to claim nesting areas. We spotted a few banks of Trumpeter Swan and a pair of Sandhill Cranes.

Mostly, it was a good excuse to get out while the weather was nice.

There was some wind that cooled the 50 degree day, but not too much.

We’ve marked the calendar to come back in three weeks which will likely be the height of migration.

We are also charting a trip to the Klamath Lake area as there are some spots there we’ve not checked out.

The Pacific Flyway will be crowded in the coming months, so it’s the perfect time to do some birding . . . weather is the only question mark.

March 9, 2025March 9, 2025

Spring Yet?

Winter prodded us again this morning with a light dusting of snow.

But spring is pushing its way in. This season is an elusive beast in Central Oregon. Late winter melts are frequently obliterated with a blanket of snow.

Occurrences come even in late March. It’s best not to get one’s hopes up . . . just endure the weather outside at the moment.

The morning’s snow was gone by noon, replaced with clear blue sky and ‘spring’ temperatures.

Wedged between these occasions of winter, we enjoy the warm sunny days on the river.

The river was in full Spring run off mode. The level was up, considerably, from our last visit.

There was no fishing, but we did have time to explore and enjoy a picnic lunch streamside.

Our newest escapade involves GPS and hidden objects.

Yeah, basically a treasure hunt with map coordinates.

The process is simple, you use GPS points to locate a capsule someone has hidden, usually with some type of note inside. There is a website with these caches set as gps coordinates on maps.

They are quite literally everywhere. It’s a nice addition, an incentive to get in a bit of hiking.

February 9, 2025February 9, 2025

Snow Days

Once again weather dictates plans. A winter storm watch that didn’t materialize last week, showed up this week and brought along a foot of new snow.

Central Oregon winters are a mix of clear cold, then broken when a front shoves storm clouds across the Cascade range. Last week started almost spring-like and then came this week and a return to shoveling snow.

It’s not impossible to travel in these conditions, just easier to wait for the inevitable string of clear days.

Tomatillos in the Cuisinart for Verde Salsa

In that waiting we managed to accomplish a few home based projects. Starting with the pantry.

Cold winter days are a perfect time to start up a canning operation and restock soups, sauces, stews and chili.

We’re also trying to put up some late season vegetables, like broccoli and carrots. Found a good price on sliced mushrooms, so they got piled into half pint jars and loaded into the canner as well.

Little offsets cabin fever better than a warm meal, good book and comfortable chair. We enjoy that while we wait for the skies . . . and roads . . . to clear.

January 26, 2025January 25, 2025

Winter’s Chill

A fringe of ice suggests how cold it’s been

Winter continues to tempt us with sunny days, then thwart our activities with bitter cold.

For most of the week temperatures hovered in the mid-thirties and mornings started in the teens. Too cold for these old bones.

Towards the end of the week we made a trip to the Crooked River. It had warmed up into the forties, and driven by a case of cabin fever we were ready to get outside.

Cirrus clouds streaked the sky, but some sun managed to shine through. Bowman Dam had been gushing water downstream to near spring levels.

Likely an attempt to prepare for a spring run off from above average snow levels in the mountains.

However, today it was back down to winter levels and the lack of wind made mirror surfaces of the still water.

There was an abundance of bird activity. A rather large flock of Robins darted from willow thicket to stream side . . . only slightly alarmed by our presence.

At one stop we watched a Heron perch on a bolder and survey the stream . . . marveling at the graceful curves of his plumage.

Then he flew by us and headed downriver, perhaps looking for a better roost.

At the reservoir a Bald Eagle flew in a spiral over the water, then plucked a rather large fish from the surface.

It happened so quickly and we were so mesmerized by the aerobatics, that cameras didn’t come out until it was over.

A final un-documented, bird sighting happened as we turned into our driveway.

A low flying Raven passed just over the hood of our car with a Chinese takeout box in his beak. Not a clue where it came from, but a fitting close to a peaceful day.

December 15, 2024December 14, 2024

High Desert Visit

Our week started out sunny, with last week’s snow finally melting away. However, while writing this post, I watch a light snow fall outside my window.

This is a cycle that will repeat itself many times in the coming months.

We plan our travels between the snow events. Roads are cleared quickly and our car is equipped for winter travel, so this is more for our convenience than anything else.

It had been a while since we’d been to Fort Rock, so that was at the top of our list. The trip is short, half an hour’s drive, and while not a major thoroughfare, Highway 31 gets good winter service.