Memories of Burns Oregon | shadeTreeImaging

Franklin's Gull - Leucophaeus pipixcan — *After my visit to Malheur NWR in Oregon, and I headed to Idaho, I made one more visit to the fields north of Burns Oregon, and enjoyed some close encounters with Franklin’s Gulls.*

Ferruginous Hawk - Buteo regalis — Malheur NWR has been one of my favorite Oregon birding destinations since I found my way there in December 2003. A few miles north of the refuge stands a lonely Juniper Tree that has hosted a Ferruginous Hawks nest for many years. I have seen nearly grown offspring there in the past. During this visit, the adult appeared to be sitting on eggs.

On 2022-04-24, after a long drive from Joseph (Oregon), I arrived in Burns late Saturday afternoon. Rather than surrendering to fatigue, I drove through the region just north of town where folks had been seeing the rare Common Crane. I missed the bird by several hours, but during the time I spent at my roadside observatory, I enjoyed the company of California Quail, Long-Billed Curlews, Sandhill Cranes, Willets, and a California Scrub-Jay.

When I finished my afternoon’s bird chasing, I camped in a vacant lot near a city park north of the town-center, where several other rigs had parked. With all the energy drained from me from the drive and from visiting the local birds, I retired without executing any action on my backlog of yarn-spinning or image grooming.

Early Sunday morning I found breakfast at a local cafe called the Apple Peddler. There, I was treated to a Robin’s nest building activity just outside the window where I dined. She was just beginning the construction, gathering the “bones” (hard, weedy sticks) and setting up quarters atop one of the brick pillars supporting the overhanging roof. When I exited the cafe, I broke off some long, grassy leaves from a nearby plant and placed them on a rock near the nest. I returned for breakfast again the next morning, and the grass cuttings were gone. She liked my offering.

After my meal, I returned to the same place I had parked the previous afternoon. After a few hours, I finished shooting for the day. I’d captured images of American Robins, Black-Billed Magpies, Black-Capped Chickadees, Brewer’s Blackbirds, California Quail, Canada Geese, Greater White-Fronted Geese, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Long-Billed Curlews, Red-Winged Blackbirds, Sandhill Cranes, Savannah Sparrows, Snow Geese, and Wilson’s Snipe.

When I heard the Sandhill Cranes approaching in the distance, I snapped a series of shots of the airborne flocks, hoping I might discover an unusual crane in the mix. However, the Common Crane was a “no-show”. I later learned that nobody saw the bird all day, and conventional wisdom suggested the bird had moved on to parts unknown. I am sure there were many disappointed birders in town, but I was not among them. My mantra is “I don’t chase birds, I chase places”. And this place treated me well.

On 2022-04-26, having spent Monday night at the Narrows RV Park near Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, I was ready to begin closing the gap to see my good friends in Payette Idaho. They served breakfast at the RV park, and I took advantage of their grub before saying goodbye to Malheur.

There is a lonely Juniper tree on the road to Burns from Malheur, a few miles north of the Narrows. It seems to be the only tree for miles around. On it is an enormous nest structure, where in the past I’ve photographed an adult Ferruginous Hawk delivering food to four healthy young, yet nearly grown hawklets. I stopped at the side of the road, while on my way towards Burns, to survey the nesting tree, and I spotted the top of a hawk’s head in the nest. I assume the bird was sitting on eggs. It might have been fun to see its mate bringing in a meal for its mate, but there might be hours before such an event. So, after collecting a few images, I continued my drive north.

When I reached Burns, where I had spent the weekend, I could not resist the temptation to swing by the agricultural fields north of town one last time before leaving the valley. After spending about 20 minutes at North Foley Drive, where I had dedicated most of my weekend time, I decided to wander off and explore the rural roads a mile to the east. Eventually, I stumbled upon Ebenray Road, where I discovered a flooded field teeming with a dense flock of gulls, ibis, geese, and shorebirds.

All the birds here were present at North Foley Drive, but only at a great distance. The birds here were much closer, and therefore more photogenic. I rarely get to visit with Franklin’s Gulls, and I enjoyed their company for a few hours before hitting the road in earnest to see my friends in Idaho.