A longish note on one snapshot of the spring season at Malheur (as this info has been
requested a couple of times, and lots of us more nothern birders go there in spring).

Most birders seem to like to start the season at Malheur in May. Generally, that is the month
when the hotel at Frenchglen starts filling up (but contact them directly for better info). May is
generally the easiest month to pick up warblers, but is certainly not the only time.

I spent all of last April volunteering at P-Ranch, south end of the refuge, doing various chores
including bird surveys (Clarice and I repeated the experience in fall, during Sept./Oct., very
different experience). So, this report is based entirely on my own pitiful sightings, and should
not be taken to be exhaustive; I am sure others spotted more, perhaps at earlier dates.

First of all, remember that Malheur gets cold in the winter, and takes a while to "thaw" out
completely (during the cold snap last week Burns reported a high of 6 and a low of minus 25
degrees) as it is high desert, generally above 4000 feet. Various springs stay open, however
in winter, however, and Steve Shunk has had good raptor tours there in February (last winter
a broad wing hung out near Page Springs).

In the first days of last April we drove on iced over roads from Bend to Burns, but the roads
cleared near Burns. My windshield wipers froze, had to buy a spare pair. The first morning at
P Ranch where the temperature was above freezing (in the morning) was April 11. We had
several spring hail and snow storms, and a tornado was reported April 20 (may not have
been real, but the weather was spectacular that day). The first long stretch of "calm" days
began after that. What this really means is that if you go early spring have a few layover days
planned in. Note that in wet weather the roads can be tricky, and they might have to close the
center patrol road. The roads dry out quickly when the weather clears, but you really don't
want to get stuck in the mud out there--which can happen easily in spring--its remote with
only spotty cell phone coverage.

The first weekend in April is the John Scharf migratory bird festival, based in Burns. It can be
a lot of fun and is certainly worth going to (Last year featured Pete Dunne, don't know about
this year). Both the refuge and the community put in a lot of participatory work for this
gathering. Clarice and I opened P Ranch for birding during that festival (by the way-- most all
of P Ranch is now open for birding anytime you go-- only the actual fenced in area where the
house sits is closed, as are the garage and shop buildings. The refuge has moved the old
fence so that the 1860 era orchard, and all the pastures behind the house, are now open.
This was a one of the projects we worked on; moving closed signs and the like. Unfortunately
for most birders, who stay in Burns, P Ranch is by far its best first thing in the morning, and
most birders arrive about noon).

The biggest draw for the festival are huge flocks of snow and Ross' geese, as well as the
raptors. They are easy to spot and are crowd pleasers.

When we got there, first of April, had all the refuge waterfowl (ducks, geese, coots, tundra
and trumpeter swans) as well as the big flock of TV's that roosts in the trees at P Ranch. Also
had long billed curlew, sandhills, scads of Wilson's snipe (a good reason to walk in the
pasture behind P-Ranch) sage grouse, mtn. bluebirds, raptors of all types (last of the
wintering rough legs about then) ravens, pheasant, burrowing owls, various woodpeckers--
lots of flickers-- (but saw no sapsuckers, the trees were not yet producing, I guess) and one
spotted towhee and a very cold looking Say's phoebe that roosted under the eave of the
house.

April 9-- saw first ruby crowned kinglet, white faced ibis, savannah sparrow.

April 10-- evening grosbeaks, G.H. owls

April 11-- American goldfinch, yellow headed blackbirds, white crowned sparrow

April 15-- Franklins gull, eared grebe, loggerhead shrike

April 17-- white pelican, short eared owl, cedar waxwing

April 21-- black neck stilt, avocet, willet, Forster's tern, western grebe

April 24-- warblers, cowbirds, cliff swallows all showed up in force.

There were other sightings that I didn't particularly note, but I suspect this gives a clue as to
how the month progressed. General observations: I noted that the GH owls nested there
much later than at Nisqually,field flooding was going on in April, so birds were beginning to
spread out within sight of the roads, the place was not buggy then, and no, you can't drive up
Steens Mtn until summer--fall.

Some of you might want to keep track, on the web, of the proposed wind farm on Steens with
acompanying proposed new power lines.

Hope this helps.