Just finishing on my third year of volunteer bird counting at Malheur. Good stuff, even when mostly dry like
now. Of course, counting is not like birding; you have to notice all the coots, and right now my head is
swimming with identification of eclipse plumaged ducks at scope distances. Wondered why I hadn't seen
any canvasbacks (until today at Stinking Lake) until I practically stepped on one in a marsh; primaries still in
molt. I would hide too.

Love the perks, though. Various levels of accomodation, vehicle, and all the desert you could want to
explore. Best, of course, is being able to count at all the closed areas (so much of this refuge is closed to
public except during bird festival, for reasons, some beyond me, ranging from disturbance to wildlife, to
archaeolgy, to just not wanting to rescue people from some of the more remote spots. Refuge got some
complaints about condition of center patrol road this spring-- but its nothing like some of the inner levees.)
Shep Thorp often volunteers here also, and we have co-led tours for the spring bird festival (and plan on
doing such again next year).

Latest projects have been mostly Boca Lake, West Knox Pond, and Derrick Lake. All three are now being
proposed for different levels of control (meaning, I think, carp control) monitoring. Also we still survey,
weekly, the first route that was proposed for the Steens mountain wind farm power line. The final EIS did
not approve of a power line across the refuge, but present plans are to survey the route until we actually
see something being built someplace else.

Boca has a large dry area in the center now, which is doing well for shorebirds right now (only species of
peeps I have been able to ID so far have been Western and Pectoral sandpipers). Count for me was 4640
birds, highest in cinnamon teal at 548.

Ruh Red Rd still has some water next to it along Silvies River and in the small portion that is in the refuge,
but bird numbers are very low compared to last spring. There is still a good amount of water in both Mud
and Malheur Lakes, so the Narrows is still pretty good, and with lots of "shore" appearing should be
attracting more migrants soon. Harney Lake is essentially dry.

The grass is very high in the fields, so every morning I am at Boca I hear Sandhills, but can't see them to tell
if they have any young. However, while counting at West Knox I saw (from an inner levee) a pair of adults,
which, after several minutes, started calling as two juveniles flew in and joined them. This was good news,
as local colts have not been in evidence otherwise.

Walking the road to the Malheur Lake boat launch has been rewarding each evening, as the water is still
high enough that you are walking through tall cattails, and can sort of imagine the early bird chasers winding
through the lake. I was surprised (probably shouldn't be) by a Pac. Slope flycatcher out in the marsh,
feeding in the cattails. Have banded many of these, but didn't think of them acting like marsh wrens
(although I know they like stream banks). Yesterday got a fun look at a harrier chasing a coyote, dive
bombing it as it ran. Also heard my first calls from Eastern kingbirds, really a sweet sounding note.

Today I walked to Stinking Lake at dawn. This is the most remote on the refuge, and is somewhat watched
over by law enforcement, as it is a research area (just as is Harney) and is surrounded by archaelogical
sites. However, if I don't drive there, follow some rules, and get clearance from some folk ahead of time, I
can count there and have done so each year, (twice with Shep). This year did not see a lot of birds (1319,
highest being 556 Wilson's phalarope) but the solitude and area is special. Scouted out the shortest walk
in, which is a little over a mile, and which entailed crossing one fence. On the way out, happened to meet a
Western ( Great Basin subspecies) rattlesnake curled up below a sage right where I was crossing the fence.
As I was about to crawl under the fence, with my face in the sand, I rethought my location.

Another fire started last Sunday about 8 miles south of the refuge near Tombstone Canyon and Burnt Car
Road, but I can't find anything about it on any BLM or state site today, so I am presuming it is contained (I
heard it created a good deal of concern as it entered an area where cut juniper had been left lying on the
ground, but have so far heard nothing new)

Hope to meet some more Malheur birders as these projects continue.

-- Jerry Broadus
Puyallup, WA
jbroadus at seanet.com