Yes, it's true - birding as we know it in Oregon almost ended this week.

Lighting started a fire southeast of Burns that ran off in the direction
of the Malheur NWR Headquarters complex and the Malheur Field Station.

According to today's Oregonian, the person in charge of fighting it
said "it was touch and go as to whether or not we could save the
Refuge Headquarters buildings."

My first reaction, of course, was "forget the buildings, SAVE THE
TREES!" An amazing number of rarities have been found in those
trees, and as far as I know none have been found in the buildings.
Those firefighters gotta get their priorities straight!

The halted the run less than a mile from the headquarters.

Can you imagine a spring without reports of rarities from the
oasis at Headquarters? It would take a long time to regenerate
those large willows, cottonwoods, and pines.


- Don Baccus, Portland OR <donb at rational.com>
Nature photos, on-line guides, at http://www.xxxpdx.com/~dhogaza