Nature – Page 23

June 12, 2022June 12, 2022

Just Another Day

Our day trips typically evolve out of a very loose agenda. Generally, there is a destination in mind and a best route plotted. Into a cooler go bits of lunch, snacks, and beverages, between blocks of cooler ice. Camera gear and field guides get loaded into the back, fishing gear on top, and of course, there are extra coats and socks.

This week we headed down to Maupin, only to discover there were more people on the river than usual.

Undaunted, we scouted out a spot away from the crowds, set up the camp chairs, donned broad-brimmed hats, and took in the view.

I think the saying is, “you can never step into the same river twice,” which is the reason we spend time on them. In the high desert, these ribbons of water offer unique views of flora and fauna.

It is a landscape that changes dramatically with the seasons.

This time of year the Lower Deschutes Canyon wears lush spring green. Migratory birds forage and feed along the riparian, at least for a few more weeks. There is also a good spot to wet a line.

It’s really a matter of flexibility on these excursions. Expectations aren’t lowered, we just keep moving until a proper location is discovered.

There are so many good places to wind up around here, that regardless of where the camp chair is finally set, we’ll enjoy the day.

June 5, 2022June 5, 2022

Stream Side Respite

Early summer on the Deschutes headwaters

The Deschutes River headwaters couldn’t be more different from its iconic lower runs. From Lava Lake to Crane Prairie Reservoir, the Upper Deschutes is more of a creek than river.

It meanders through grass meadows and Lodge Pole pine forests. This week that stretch of river opened. Literally, the USFS unlocked roads and the stream was opened to fishing.

Signs of life after the winter snows retreat

This seven mile stretch of stream is a favorite summer destination. There are great spots to picnic, excellent stick fetching and good fishing. Even in the hottest days of summer, there are shady spots along the river to open a camp chair and enjoy the day.

Few things are more relaxing or peaceful than a spot in the shade by a quietly tumbling stream.

We’ll be back up here often until the snow closes things down for another season.

May 29, 2022May 28, 2022

Fledgelings

Red-winged blackbird coming in for a landing

This week we headed back out to Summer Lake Wildlife Refuge. There are always some birds that use the refuge as a nesting site. We were hoping to catch images of some babies.

American White Pelican

Summer Lake didn’t disappoint. A trip to the refuge always presents something new. The seasonal changes alone are worth the drive. This visit was no exception.

A Great Horned Owl family, nesting in a willow, seemed as curious about us, as we were them. This owl starts nesting early with both parents sharing in the rearing.

Perched throughout the tree, we sighted four baby Great Horned Owls.

The fledgelings are climbing trees in 5 weeks and fly by the 10th, but are still being fed by parents for several months. Their body is covered in a downy white fluff and lack the pronounced ear tuffs, but have the darker facial disc and yellow eyes.

Great Horned Owls vary in color by region with PNW species having a dusty gray brown tone.

We also happened across a flock of American White Pelicans. Breeding adults have a yellow plate sticking up on the front of their massive bill.

This group included some fledgelings, as southern Oregon is one of the few breeding sites along the migration route.

Several babies were snuggled in amongst this group

These are one of the largest birds in North America. The American White Pelican has white plumage with black flight feathers and has a nine foot wing span.

We also caught sightings of yellow-headed blackbirds staking out breeding territory and foraging. The Stilts were still around in great numbers, though we didn’t see any chicks. As well as the usual pairs of ducks in a variety of species and Canada geese.

Yellow-headed Blackbird

There was also a White-faced Ibis wading and feeding in the short grasses on the edge of a shallow pond.

May 22, 2022May 19, 2022

Getting a Start on Summer

A pelican flies over a side channel of Crane Prairie Lake.

May is nearly over … that went quickly.

A couple of things happen this time of year; the Cascade Lakes Highway and fishing season on the Upper Deschutes open. This marks the beginning of summer in Central Oregon.

April showers brought additional snow pack to the mountains and we found six foot banks on the highway between Bachelor and Elk Lake. Meaning, it will be a few weeks before you see wild flowers in those alpine meadows.

Skunk cabbage makes an early appearance.

However, once we’d dropped to Little Lava Lake and the head waters of the Deschutes, snow lay only in a few patches and new growth was poking through winter matted ground. Some wildflowers were showing as well.

In prep for future trips, Tip checks out the river and I did some entomology research. We are ready for the start of summer fishing on the upper D.

May 15, 2022May 14, 2022

In Defense of Hatch Charts

This week we caught the front end of the Mother’s Day Caddis hatch on the Crooked River.

Only a flyfisher would be excited to stand in a swarm of bugs armed only with the understanding that they don’t bite … but the fish will.

Weedy Water Sedge is a common name for the caddis fly –Trichoptera. Brachycentride. Amicoentrus – often found on still and tail waters.

The emergence of this aquatic insect in spring, along with a dozen other genus of the same order, is predicted on a chart.
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River hatch charts are notoriously inaccurate. Though only some of that is on fisherman. If they were good at keeping secrets no one would know that around Mother’s Day there is an excellent hatch on the Crooked River.

http://https://vimeo.com/709899428

A Caddisfly hatch, or rather series of hatches, is a daily event which can re-occur over a series of weeks. So … Mother’s Day is close enough. We’ve managed to participate for a few years now, thanks again, in part, to charts.

Speaking of hatch charts they will also show that over the next few months there is a marked spike in activity. This time of year if we aren’t tracking bird migrations, we are trying to anticipate emergence of a specific genius of Plecoptera, common name; Salmon Fly.