Trip Report

This was another great trip to Summer Lake for bird watching. The weather was pleasant, although it got a bit hot mid-afternoons and quite windy in the evenings. That didn’t stop this group from some serious searching for birds. Some hardy folks ventured out after dark to view the amazing night skies. The quantity of birds was less than two years ago, but the variety of birds was equally as good. In fact, Rick Ahrens listed about eighty kinds of birds on his personal list – that was an increase. We enjoyed traveling through many different landscapes driving over and home on this trip. We had scenic views of rivers, lakes, and snow-covered mountains, marshlands, alfalfa fields, sagebrush flats, amazing rock formations, ranch lands and national forests. All of it was beautiful. We enjoyed our lunch stop at the Klamath Marsh Wildlife headquarters, where manager Mike Johnson made us very welcome—even setting up tables and chairs outside for our use. We made multiple trips out onto Summer Lake Wildlife Refuge where we parked the bus and spent time walking the dikes and exploring other habitats. Some favorite sightings were great horned owls, western grebes, killdeers, sand hill cranes, white pelicans, white faced ibis, American avocets, black-necked stilts, yellow-headed blackbirds, bullocks’ oriole, wood ducks, prairie falcon, and the resident trumpeter swans. We had opportunities to talk with the staff at the refuge which was interesting and informative. It was fun to have the entire Summer Lake Lodge reserved just for us. The drive south between Summer Lake and Winter Ridge is lovely. Our lunches at the historic Pioneer Saloon and Restaurant in Paisley and the Waterin’ Hole Tavern in Fort Rock were tasty and fun. We were all impressed with the local volunteer efforts in creating the Homestead Village Museum at Fort Rock. Most people enjoyed hiking around the inside of Fort Rock where a few wildflowers were in bloom. A stop at Salt Creek Falls allowed riders a walk along the creek to look at the falls and the blooming rhododendrons. Special thanks to Rick Ahrens for sharing his nature knowledge with us and to Charley Thomas for sending along his high powered scope even though he wasn’t able to go. Our group consisted of thirteen Obsidian members and eleven guests, some who were on the wait list two years ago and didn’t get to go because the trip was filled.