Ed's reply mirrors what we experienced on our mid-April trip. We enjoyed
temps in the upper 70s (!) for the 3 days we were there.

Although we saw few passerines, there were plenty of interesting shorebirds
(most notably plenty of white-faced ibis, avocets, and stilts and a few
pelicans, willets, great egrets and yellowlegs). We had more luck up
towards Burns, around Mud and Harney Lakes, and on the main refuge road than
we had in the interior.

Lots of great-horned and short-eared owls down around Frenchglen.

Be sure to stop in at the Visitors Center, where you will see reports from
the field which will direct you well. Good stuff!

Betsy Plastino
bplastino at chpw.org
Seattle, WA


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Eelevel at aol.com [SMTP:Eelevel at aol.com]
> Sent: Thursday, May 13, 1999 10:16 AM
> To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
> Subject: Malheur
>
> Re Quare on conditions at Malheur: We drive from Klamath (birding great)
> to
> Malheur (French Glen) on Tuesday, May 4, and then up Bltizen River Road on
>
> the 5th. Birding was great. Weather was quite warm. We are inept at
> iditifying small birds and gulls but saw over 75 identified species. On
> road
> from Burns to Malhuer Headquarters, we say Curlew, Whimbrel, Sandhill
> Cranes,
> Stilts, Great Egrets, Bonaparte Gulls, many swallows and blackbirds of
> various kinds, Western Kingbirds, Cinnamon Teal, and many other species.
>
> Highlight of trip, along with Great Horned Owl sightings, was going
> through a
> flock of at least 300 Yellow-winged Blackbirds which practically stopped
> traffic on causeway between two large lakes (name unknown) north of
> Malheur
> Lake. Locals said they had never seen this, and the birds had separated
> when
> we drove back the next day. Great-horned Owls on nest with chicks were
> seen
> at Headquarters and P Ranch. Also at P Ranch were over 40 roosting Turkey
>
> Vultures and 6 browsing Mule Deer. Among many other birds, while driving
> Blitzen River Road, we saw a Short-eared Owl. On way out, we saw at least
> 40
> White-faced Ibis right next to the road east of Headquarters. At least a
> hundred more were on fields east and north of Burns. We drove out to
> Double
> O Ranch (18 miles of dirty road), saw few birds, but did add Blue-winged
> Teals and Willets to our list. With Klalmath, it was our most fantastic
> birding trip ever. Ed Level, Everett.