Birding the Basin

June 21, 2008

Hi all, Friday morning, I took a jaunt around Lower Klamath Refuge and saw more Great Egrets in a few minutes than I had ever seen outside of Texas or Florida. The water level in Unit 3 was down. Unit 3 is the lake area south and east of the tour route exit. Starting at the exit and heading east on Stateline Road, I estimated that there were at least 200 Great Egrets there. It wasn't until after I drove the tour route and came out back at Stateline did I double my estimate. There were no fewer than 400, and maybe many more, Great Egrets in an area from just west of the tour route exit road and incorporating the area both south and east for a mile or so. The trees lining the exit were simply brimming with egrets. There were many ibis, pelicans and a lesser number of Snowy Egrets in the area. An unexpected bonus was seeing an American Bittern flying across the tour route road near the exit. There was still a Swainson's Hawk on the nest in the juniper to the north side of Stateline Road between Merrill Pit Road and South Merrill road. This report has no really rare birds, Great Egrets are common, but it is the sheer number of them at Lower Klamath that prompted me to send this to the group. Please share anything you may have with the others on this contact group.Charlotte Ann

June 23, 2008
FYI there was a male rose-breasted grosbeak on our feeder this morning at Klamath Marsh NWR. I thought I'd forward this info on as it is listed as accidental in the area. Also, it has a (+) symbol in the Klamath Basin Birding Trail booklet indicating that its appearance in the area should be considered problematic. Doug Doug DambergKlamath Basin NWR ComplexHC 63, Box 303Chiloquin, OR 97624Office: (541) 783-3380 Fax: (541) 783-3382