Nature – Page 3

March 22, 2026April 18, 2026

It Sure Feels like Spring

OK . . . going to call it. Winter is over.

The aspen tree has buds. We’ve had a week of 60 degree days, and a robin showed up at the feeder. All signs that spring has sprung.

We’re not so naive to think a winter storm isn’t possible, but at this point it appears unlikely.

The week has been busy with errands, but we made time for a trip to the river. It’s very spring-like in the Crooked River Canyon these days.

The river is fishing very well, so that brings a lot of people. Also, there has been an increase in wildlife among the willows and junipers.

Those rowdy Magpies are back, though not yet at last year’s force, but then its still early.

While the Magpies were making a racket in the juniper trees, on the far bank a pair of Kingfishers were scouting for a meal.

When you look at Kingfishers it’s easy to see why people believe birds evolved from dinosaurs.

Warmer weather brings better fishing. The water doesn’t seem to be much warmer, but it only takes a few degrees to stir life into the aquatic insects.

We managed to hook up quite a few more fish than our typical winter outing . . . although we didn’t have any dry fly action.

The week ahead is forecast with warmer days, so we’re increasing planned excursions.

This week there was a 20 acre fire (debris burn got out of hand) about a mile from our house. As we monitored evacuation notices, we couldn’t help wonder how bad this year’s fire season might actually be.

That said, we are focused on getting in as much outdoor time as possible before air quality gets bad and closures begin.

March 8, 2026April 18, 2026

Watchers

Flicker waiting his turn at the suet block

As noted in an earlier post, we’ve erected a bird feeding station outside the office window.

Erected is a good descriptor as it is a multi-piece metal pole, driven into the ground. with a tray and two arms attached.

In the ensuing months a slew of feathered critters have discovered it , as well as one, well perhaps two, large gray squirrels.

We spend a portion of each day pecking away at keyboards and moving media files around.

This circus of avian activity presents a calming break from re-reads and edits. So of course we directed cameras at the action. Finches, juncos and chickadees flit in and out of the tray, staging runs from the branches of the adjacent aspen tree.

Morning Dove getting breakfast on the patio

There is a covey of mourning doves that make regular stops. These chubby little buggers hunker down and take possession of the space.

A mesh bag filled with thistle seed was hung for finches and for the chickadees, a suet feeder.

That suet feeder got heavy use from a pair of flickers who, it appears, were just passing through. There is also an occasional visit from a nuthatch.

Then, the other night our security camera caught some four legged visitors. They seemed interested in the suet, which fortunately was out of their reach.

As for the squirrel . . .

Well, their leaps from aspen to feeder aren’t as delicate as the junco’s, but just as entertaining.

While sitting with a mug of hot tea, working away at a video or a blog post, it’s great fun watching the antics just outside our window.

March 1, 2026April 18, 2026

Winter Refuge

The perfect spot for shore birds . . . except this day

Winter may actually come to Central Oregon in the next couple of weeks, but at the moment it feels more like spring (false spring to be honest).

With a break in the weather, we decided to take a drive over to the wildlife refuge at Summer Lake. There’s no anticipation of great birding,

It’s between migrations. However, the sun was out, the roads were dry, and we really needed a road trip.

Summer Lake, even in the winter, has some avian population. After all, there are year-round residents, just not many. The draw this time of year, well anytime of year, is the quiet solitude.

You hear wind in the reeds, water bubbling between canals and the occasional bird song. Most of the time there are no other humans around.

Hunting season is over so the loop gate is open allowing access to the eastern dike road. This narrow track, literally the width of the dike, runs between two ponds that always have at least a thin layer of water.

This is also a stretch that on most days would have a variety of shore birds; Stilts, Avocets, Dippers and the like . . . not this day.

We got the scope on a couple of hawks, Red Tails, we think. They were a distant challenge, even for the spotting scope.

There was a bevy of swans, paired up, but still too early for cygnets. There were plenty of ducks and a couple gaggles of geese.

Wildlife was keeping a distance from humans and cars. That’s fine . . . we were there to take in the day.

The telephoto lens and spotting scope offered plenty of opportunity to watch the action. It does make us more anxious for the spring migration to start.

We definitely will be back . . . Summer Lake is our refuge as well.

February 22, 2026April 18, 2026

Ancient Oregonians

Lake Abert . . . below Abert Rim another site of early Oregonian finds.

Southeastern Oregon contains a northern section of the Great Basin.

It is an endorheic basin or closed drainage system, just over 200 thousand square miles of mostly arid and desertlike landscapes.

Ancient lakes did fill these spaces, thousands of years ago, helping to shape what we see to day.

The salt marsh lowlands between Summer Lake and Lake Abert were bountiful areas for early inhabitants.

Ice age lakes have receded to saline marshes or small land locked bodies of water fed from mountain snow melt but never draining to an ocean.

Fort Rock juts out of the sage steppe, visible for miles in any direction

Native people, the Ute, Mono and Goshute tribes, adapted to a harsh environment living a mostly nomadic life. Their ancestors likely came here via the Bering land bridge.

There is ample archeologic data to support human habitation in Oregon as far back as 20 thousand years.

Waiting patiently for JQ to get her photos

Excavations around Fort Rock, a tuff ring located on an ice age lake bed, uncovered a cache of sagebrush sandals among other human artifacts. Archeologist discovered the site in 1938 and returned in the late sixties.

Looting and outdated archelogoical practices hampered precise dating but the presence of Mazama Ash over the top of artifacts suggests they are at least seven thousand years old.

Petroglyphs celebrating hunts 10 thousand years ago.

Some of the people weaving and wearing those sandals likely walked over Picture Rock Pass a divide between Fort Rock and Summer Lake. This is the site of a set of petroglyphs dating from the same era.

There’s no missing Fort Rock as you drive to Christmas Valley or Summer Lake

Recently an archeological site in the south east corner of the state unearthed tools “…unmistakable as having been crafted by humans.” Artifacts from this site have been radiocarbon dated at 18,250 years old. One of the oldest human-occupied locations in North America.

The Crooked River carves its way through volcanic formations at Smith Rock.

Current events hold a different importance when measured against the whole of human history and are truly insignificant when placed on a geological timeline. We find comfort in that thought

February 15, 2026April 18, 2026

A Garden in Winter

There are a lot of things to like about the High Desert, but it is not a garden friendly environment. The growing season is short and the soil is volcanic sand. While sunshine is abundant, it’s dry and hot in the summer and bitterly cold in the winter.

In our case there are a couple of additional obstacles. Our house sits on a small urban lot, unfenced and landscaped for the desert environment.

Also, we have a mule deer population undeterred by human presence and able to strip a plant to its branches . . . usually just as it’s starting to bloom.

That said, we have attempted to cultivate some crops in small raised beds.

We’ve managed a yearly harvest of garlic, onions and root vegetables. It worked because they store well and aren’t as attractive to the deer.

Our efforts at gardening this side of the Cascades are regulated by how much effort one is willing to expend.

Last year we added vertical planters on our porch, Green Stalk. Basically stackable soil bins that you irrigate via a top mounted reservoir. They sit on rotating bases and occupy very little space.

It also has fitted frost coverings that allow a good deal of protection to overwinter root corps and protect berry plants.

Sealed against winter weather . . . works really well.

In the multiple planting pockets are strawberries, greens, and some root crops which seem to thrive in the relative shade of our patio.

A couple of pockets of petunias produce prolific blossoms attracting pollinators well into the fall. This next season might see the addition of a couple of tomato plants, a patio classic.

We’ve worked gardens on many different scales, sustainable to container . This small patio gardening fits our life these days.