We started out the day in Bend, Oregon. Our first visit was to the nearby Newberry Volcanic Monument, to see some of the cool lava flows there. One of the neat things to see here are tree castings - lava flowed around a tree, and it eventually rotted and disintegrated away, leaving holes and casts where there were once trees. This area just east of US-97 is known as the Lava Cast Forest.
Next, the High Desert Museum in Bend. This is an interesting place, with a wide variety of types of displays, natural history, cultural history, etc. There is also an enclosed raptor and birds of prey center, "Raptors of the Desert" sky, where we also spent some time. This is a cool place, and well worth the visit. The outdoor area also has some birdfeeders with some good action, a good chance to get species typical of the coniferious forests of that area: MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, TOWNSENDS SOLITAIRE, RED-BRESTED NUTHATCH, and a brief look at RED CROSSBILLS.
We then headed south to Crater Lake National Park. We did not have a tremendous amount of time, so we just drove around the Rim Road, and enjoyed the specatcular views. I was shocked by how little snow there was - on previous visits, even in July, there was deep snow everywhere. We did have dinner - a picnic at one of the picnic areas near the Godfrey Glen Trail. Birds were not numerous at the park, though we did see the typical species, plus CASSIN'S FINCH, COMMON RAVEN, and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS.
We left Crater Lake, and crossed the Cascade Mountains over Willamette Pass (Oregon Route 58). We make a brief stop at Salt Creek Falls, to look for the rare Black Swift, but it got too late and too dark! On to Eugene for the evening!
Next, the High Desert Museum in Bend. This is an interesting place, with a wide variety of types of displays, natural history, cultural history, etc. There is also an enclosed raptor and birds of prey center, "Raptors of the Desert" sky, where we also spent some time. This is a cool place, and well worth the visit. The outdoor area also has some birdfeeders with some good action, a good chance to get species typical of the coniferious forests of that area: MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, TOWNSENDS SOLITAIRE, RED-BRESTED NUTHATCH, and a brief look at RED CROSSBILLS.
We then headed south to Crater Lake National Park. We did not have a tremendous amount of time, so we just drove around the Rim Road, and enjoyed the specatcular views. I was shocked by how little snow there was - on previous visits, even in July, there was deep snow everywhere. We did have dinner - a picnic at one of the picnic areas near the Godfrey Glen Trail. Birds were not numerous at the park, though we did see the typical species, plus CASSIN'S FINCH, COMMON RAVEN, and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS.
We left Crater Lake, and crossed the Cascade Mountains over Willamette Pass (Oregon Route 58). We make a brief stop at Salt Creek Falls, to look for the rare Black Swift, but it got too late and too dark! On to Eugene for the evening!
NEWBERRY VOLCANIC MONUMENT PHOTOS (LAVA CAST AREA):
We also found this turtle there!BEND HIGH DESERT MUSEUM AND RAPTOR CENTER:
Long-Eared Owl
Hobby? (Small falcon)
Golden Eagle
CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK:
Above: Pictures of Crater Lake
Wildflowers at the lake
Our shadows late in the day at Crater LakeBIRD PHOTOS
Mountain Chickadee (Bend High Desert Museum)
Cassin's Finch (Crater Lake)
Common Raven (Crater Lake)
No comments:
Post a Comment