South Central Oregon birding adventure

Another few days of vacation provided another chance to visit the wide open spaces of Lake County, Oregon. Summer Lake National Wildlife Refuge never disappoints. I actually started the day (May 14) at the coast, and ended it by crawling into my sleeping bag under the open, starry sky 15 hours and 300-plus miles later. Starting in a hazy drizzle at Oceanside meant that I missed many species at the coast, but still ended the day (with a calling Virginia Rail after dark) with 117 species. During the following two days, I added about 15 species more before returning home to western Oregon.

American Avocet on the nest
(Remember to click on the photo for an enlarged view.)



My campsite at Summer Lake NWR
American Bittern
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Killdeer nest
Forster's TernSandhill Crane
Dawn comes over Summer Lake
Fences are a problem for Pronghorn Antelope in Oregon's High Desert