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Descending the mountain,
Klamath reservoir stretches for miles and miles. Busy two lane roads
are the bane of photographers, but I do manage to find a few
turnouts. I am thrilled with the sight of eared, western, Clark's,
pied-billed, and red-necked grebes. Hundreds of northern shovelers
with their feathery butts pointing to the sky search in unison for
whatever tasty morsels lie beneath the water's surface. Common
mergansers, California gulls, Bonaparte's gulls, ring-billed gulls,
on and on and on.... So much to see, so little time. I find a little
boat launch area and sit down to photograph the elusive belted
kingfisher, which of course didn't cooperate. A great-blue heron was
most cooperative as the shutter clicked dozens of times. Some ducks
floated in the distance, not providing the greatest close-ups but I
am able to document several Barrow's goldeneyes, which are extremely
rare back home.
Then the coolest sight of the whole trip. Hundreds of Bonaparte's
gulls started diving for shad in an inlet along the road. I stayed
there transfixed for about an hour just trying to capture the
moment. While the photographs are just OK, the memories are crystal
clear, what a thrill. I saw my only American white pelican of the
trip down this inlet.
Moving on I made a grand attempt to photograph the lake without
power poles obscuring the view. I wasn't successful. Boy those
things sure are ugly. I did find two Bald Eagles perched on one
power pole, obvious sexual dimorphism as the female was twice the
size of the male. Snapping a few shots, it is time to leave Oregon
and head to Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Lava Beds
National Monument. |
