Birding the Basin

Lots of stuff today. See below.

Thank you,
Cindy Deas
KLMS/KBBT/BRBT
541-892-0596

Hi all, At 6:30 this morning, the adult, probably female, Peregrine Falcon was at its usual location on the poles just east of the refuge maintenance station on Stateline Road.Charlotte Ann

Subject: Breeding(?) White-crowned Sparrow, Klamath Co.From: "Dave Haupt" Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2008 18:43:53 -0700OBOL,
Saturday at Williamette Pass ski area on a casual outing I heard the
"pink" call which I've heard a million times in the fall and winter, but
obviously not in the summer in Klamath County, because I had to track
down the source. I had an agitated White-crowned Sparrow calling
repeatedly in an open brushy area in the parking lot of the ski area. I
watched the bird's behavior for ~3 minutes until a member of my party
honked the horn of the van because I was taking too long and they were
all hot. The honk happened to flush a second white-crown from the
brush. Behavior-wise and date-wise (July 19) I'd suggest these birds
were a nesting pair. Checking Steve Summer's book "Klamath Birds," and
"Oregon Birds" I couldn't really find (m)any breeding accounts for
White-crowned Sparrow in the County. Is the species a common breeder
just west of this location? Anyone have WCSP records in the summer in
Klamath County?
Dave Haupt
Klamath Falls Hi all, I just got back from a quick run around Lower Klamath refuge. The adult Peregrine Falcon was perched on the easternmost of the poles that go east from the refuge maintenance station. The station is a half mile east of the main refuge entrance. I entered the refuge by the road that goes by the maintenance station entrance. I found another peregrine along that road about a half mile before Intersection E. This bird had more color to its upper breast than does the Stateline bird. It appeared to be quite large and was also an adult. I took the tour route road back to Intersection A and turned left. It wasn't long before I was treated to the sight of 3 River Otters crossing the road ahead of me. I could see that there was another one wanting to cross but I was too close, so I backed up and gave it room. It was then that a fifth otter stuck its head out alongside the other one. They both crossed the road and joined the ones that had already crossed. I know that I have seen 2 otters together in the basin. I am not sure if I ever saw 3 at one time. Seeing 5 in a single group was an absolute delight.Charlotte Ann