Oregon - High Desert to Pacific Coast

Autumn Ash at Mulheur NWR

Southeastern Oregon is a high sage & grass desert that seems to go on for miles, and it does.  We spent a couple days at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.  We hadn't heard of this place until it was taken over by an armed militia last winter.  No problems now so we enjoyed the unique wildlife of the area.

Coyote

Long-eared Owl peeks out

Mule Deer Buck

Mule deer doe and twins

Townsend's Solitaire 

White-crowned Sparrow & Rose Hips

California Quail

Red-tailed Hawk takes flight

We drove west to the mountains and the WINTER adventure of Crater Lake National Park.  The snow was beautiful and the clouds broke enough for us to see the crater and the island cinder cone.

Crater Lake and island Cinder Cone

Steller's Jay - cold feet?

Ash Pinnacles south of the crater

Chestnut-backed Chickadees

Driving west through the Cascades, we stayed at Susan Creek BLM Campground and at a warmer and lower altitude.  Surrounded by moss covered trees and listening to the nearby waterfalls.

Clear Water Falls

Common Mergansers

Susan Creek

Dark morph Red-tailed Hawk - Umpqua Valley

Westward to the coast and a four day stay at Bandon by the Sea RV Park.  Each day we birded along the beautiful rocky coast.

Black Turnstone

Virginia Creeper

Scoping the huge ocean rock outcrops, we found Tufted Puffins, Rhinoceros Auklets, Marbled Murrelet, Pigeon Guillemot, Surf, Black & White-winged Scoters, Brandt's and Pelagic Cormorants, Pacific & Red-throated Loons.  All too far away to photograph but we did see lots of other close wildlife.

Wrentit

Red-legged Frog

Steller's Jay

Black-tailed Deer

Sooty Fox Sparrow

As we headed south along the coast, we made many stops:  New River Nature Center, Cape Blanco, Port Orford, Rogue River Jetty and Harris Beach State Park.

35 foot Gray Whale at Port Orford

Banana Slug

Pacific Wren

Yellow Monkey Flower on the beach

Now it's Northern California adventure time.

Love & Prayers,
Ty & Ida Baumann