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March 15, 2026April 18, 2026

Winter’s end or False Spring?

We just walked in the door from Tip’s daily. There’s a winter storm warning in effect. However, the sun was out and it’s 50º. We’re beginning to think that we’ve seen all the winter there’s going to be.

Its the middle of March and while winter has returned in the past, that doesn’t seem likely this year.

Of course now we’ve jinxed it. Long range forecast calls for warmer than normal temperatures in the Northwest. So it’s a false spring or maybe the change of seasons?

Beautiful March day on the Crooked River

Any un-seasonal weather just means we get outside. A majority of the week was taken up with errands and finishing unfinished projects. But we picked the nicest of days and headed up to the Crooked.

Recharging on the river has become integral to our sanity. We’d expected to just enjoy the water and a picnic lunch. But the river had other things in mind.

There was increased water fowl population. We suspect they are getting ready to nest. And while JQ was capturing images, fish started to feed on the surface.

It’s rare to fish over a surface hatch in winter months so we took advantage of the moment.

The sun warmed the air around us, but the water was really cold. That said, we got an hour of really good fishing before needing to warm up.

The week ahead offers more mild temperatures so even with cloudy skies we’ll have opportunity to do some more exploring, now that most of our winter chores are completed.

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.

November 30, 2025November 29, 2025

Return Again

Any reader of this blog will have figured out we venture to the same places with regularity. This is by design.

Our explorations are, to some degree, dictated by the change in seasons. Like the adage ‘you never step in the same river twice’.

We go to canyons to explore rivers, the high desert to find wildlife and mountains to uncover minerals.

There’s interest in the place, but of equal importance is the journey there.

A spot in the winter offers something different than it will in the summer. This is less a measure of temperature and more a matter of a shift in flora and fauna.

There are times when roads are impassable or the sun’s heat becomes unbearable. We time an excursion, when possible, to variants of weather. One can fish the year around. The only obstacle . . . road conditions.

Rivers in warm months are a pleasant picnic. As the season turns cold, there are fewer fishers but just as many fish.

Summer Lake Wildlife Refuge at start of fall migration.

Migratory patterns help predict when Summer Lake will have its greatest number of species.

But there are always birds and Winter Ridge makes a very photogenic backdrop capped with snow. Each season offers it’s own photo op.

Rock hounding is great adventure to unique locations. We’ve uncovered interesting stones while being treated to beautiful views.

Summer’s heat is not the best time to be chiseling away at a rock face or scraping a hole in the desert floor. But from winter to late spring the road in is a mud trap. Again . . . it’s a matter of timing.

It’s nice to discover a new place, turn down a different road, or frame a special photo. However, often the change isn’t a location but time of year.

To those places we enjoy, we’ll always return again.

November 23, 2025November 21, 2025

It’s Gotten Cold

Winter seems to be upon us. This week was wet . . . and bone chilling cold.

Each year we seem to need more time to adjust to the season of snow. Usually the transition from fall to winter is enough, but for some reason this season seems particularly short.

Perhaps the days are moving faster?

Either way . . . here we are . . . well into November and still thinking it’s October.

The weatherman suggested that Wednesday would present some sun and perhaps be a bit warmer. So we headed up to the river.

The sun did not break through the overcast sky and it never got warmer than 37º. Thus we only spent a couple of hours on the river.

That said, our time was marked by the presence of a Bald Eagle perched in the Osprey’s snag. So fierce!

We pulled out the Drone for a water survey. The Crooked River is at it’s winter time low level.

Finally, when the chill became too much, we sipped on mugs of hot tea, enjoyed some roasted chicken, and shared a slice of delicious cranberry cake. So, all was not lost.

By December we should have acclimated to winter and be better prepared for frigid days on the high desert.

We know there will be breaks from these arctic fronts, where sun-filled days outnumber the dull gray ones. It’s just this week was particularly dull.

August 17, 2025August 16, 2025

Summer’s Refuge

High Desert morning looking south from Sunriver

The heat of summer has settled in so our daytrips have shifted to early morning departures.

The high desert cools overnight and offers a chilly morning . . . light sweater cool. This is true even when we hit ninety plus afternoons.

The sun was just cresting over Fort Rock as we passed on our way to Summer Lake Wildlife Refuge.

The Pacific Flyway has already started to show signs of winter migration. The distinctive honks of Canada Geese have been overhead often during the last few weeks.

Summer Lake is a 45 minute drive, so with an early start we got a good bit of birding in and were home before the oppressive heat of the afternoon settled in.

This trip we encountered an unusually large number of Ibis . . . flocks of them.