Malhuer National Wildlife Refuge Day 1

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge was established on August 18, 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt as the Lake Malheur Bird Reservation. Roosevelt set aside unclaimed lands encompassed by Malheur, Mud and Harney Lakes “as a preserve and breeding ground for native birds.” The newly established “Lake Malheur Bird Reservation” was the 19th of 51 wildlife refuges created by Roosevelt during his tenure as president. At the time, Malheur was the third refuge in Oregon and one of only six refuges west of the Mississippi.

I recently had the opportunity to visit the refuge with wildlife photographers Ken Archer and Nate Chappell. Both were great at sharing their knowledge related to bird and bird behavior as well as how best to photograph them. It was really fun to have them continually anticipate what the bird was going to do next, and then have it happen.

Here are some of my shots from day 1, Thursday April 29, 2010. Click on any bird to enlarge.


Western Meadowlark, the Oregon state bird.



Sandhill Crane


Yellowheaded Blackbird



American Avocet







Black Necked Stilt



American Pelican


White Face Ibis


Prairie Falcon


Ring Necked Pheasant



Franklin's Gull



White Tail Deer



Willet Hard to believe it is the same bird when you see it in flight.



Northern Shoveler





Cinnamon Teal




Gadwall, Female



Ring Necked Duck


Northern Pintail



Mallard Duck



And finally one of my real favorites. The Long Billed Curlew is the largest of the curlews and it's huge bill is almost funny. They are really gregarious and in breeding season as they are here, quite entertaining to watch.








A great day of photographing birds.

Randomness

Bowsers last days.

He was really loved by everybody. The grandkids who were often afraid of dogs, got over that fear largely due to Bowser


During the last few days his favorite spot was right next to Paula in the house.



The birds are returning in huge numbers. Like this Stellar Jay,


House Finch


Female Evening Grosbeak



Male Evening Grosbeak


American Goldfinch


Another shot of the House Finch


I recently went to Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, and took a bunch of pictures with a couple of professional photographers. I will try to post some soon.

ODE TO BOWSER and DUKE

About 10 years ago our own Christian was in a really bad place. He had seemingly lost his way and was genuinely in a funk. One day he found a puppy in a box outside the grocery store. It was a bit scared, just like Chris, and the two of them bonded in ways that were magic. We had another dog already, Duke, who was the crazy, hyper fetching maniac, and now Bowser.

Over the years Bowser and Duke became fixtures on the farm. The two of them could be counted on to always be there to great us when we came home. Both were kind of scaredy cats and often could be found under a bed after a thunder storm.

It was the hardest thing to leave them at the farm when Paula and I moved to Rainbow, but there seemed to always be someone there.


About a month ago, Duke, in a very uncharacteristic move ran into the road and was hit by a truck. It was a very traumatic thing for us, but we still had Bowser. And then within about 10 days, Paula noticed a lump on the side of Bowser's head. After a few days she took him to the Vet, only to find out that he had an advanced case of bone cancer, and had only days to live. Our good friend Dave Barno who owns the Vet Clinic we go to, brought the shot over, and we were able to be with him during the last few minutes of his short life here.

It was actually a sweet moment in spite of the pain. It was a moment when the reality of life beyond this one became once again crystal clear. I look forward to seeing Duke and Bowser again. I honestly hope that Uncle Tim was there to welcome Bowser to the other side. I feel genuine love for these two individuals who were so devoted to our family and truly a part of it.

Bowser really hated having his picture taken. Consequently we don't have many, but forget we won't!

Peace Out.

The Old Nugget School

Some of my fondest memories are of the years I spent as a boy out South Myrtle Creek Road in the Nugget School. Although it was only about 4 years, it seems that many of my childhood memories were formed there. My dad bought the place shortly after we moved from Southern California in about 1960. My parents had decided to escape the crowded Orange County traffic and smog. Dad took a job with a small independent telephone company in Myrtle Creek where he was essentially the entire outside maintenance crew. He had a very cool lift truck that he used for maintaining the phone lines, and I remember picking fruit off the trees in the yard from the basket of the lift truck.

A few weeks ago, as we traveled back from Amber's wedding reception, we decided to take a bit of a detour through Myrtle Creek, and drove out to the ghost town of Nugget, where the only remaining building in town is the old school where we lived.


The house we bought was actually an old school house built in 1902, and used for the community of Nugget until 1941. The structure had 14 foot ceilings, and dad had us boys sleeping up in a loft that had been created from the top 6 feet. It didn't have any insulation, and no finish on the inside of the walls, but it was awfully cool space for Dave and I to hang out.



At the time we lived there, there were a number of buildings and a very big tree in the back yard. All of the buildings had some relationship to the old town, such as the livery stable, post office, etc. We used them as barns, chicken coop, wood shed etc. All of them have now been torn down, and the tree is no longer there.


There is still however one tree that I remember very well. It is in the front yard, and I remember it as being large 50 years ago! It is pretty beat up, but has tremendous character. We played in, on and around it for hours.


I loved living at this place. With the pasture out back, cows, creeks, swings, tree houses, etc. etc., I think I was the luckiest kid in the world. I remember learning how to ride a bike there. I even remember teaching Dave how to ride by putting him on the bike and pointing him toward the house which was slightly downhill from the barn, only to have him run into it and crash!

Every kid should be as lucky as I was as a boy. Seems like nothing has changed though, I am still the luckiest guy in the world.


Random wildlife shot.