Sepk'eec'a Klamath! Animals, Birds, Nature, and Scenery Galore!

 Sepk'eec'a means "thank you" in the language of the Klamath tribes of Southern Oregon.  And when I was getting ready to post these photos of my second amazing visit to the Lower Klamath and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuges (NWR), I really wanted to pay homage to the original inhabitants of this region from which the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex that includes these two NWRs gets it's name. 

As mentioned, this was my second visit to Lower Klamath and Tule Lake and each experience was so incredibly exciting and fulfilling and different!  You have to check out the photos from my first visit at the beginning of April 2017!  

So much to see at Lower Klamath!

And more at Tule Lake!

 This time I wanted to try to go earlier in the year and was watching the weather very closely to find a window in which I could safely drive while avoiding snow and ice.  I found a window and off I went.  I have to drive pretty much through the night to be there just at dawn when animals are active to maximize my experience!  My plan was sound and I passed Mt. Shasta in the dark and hit the turnoff from Hwy 97 to Hwy 161, which runs along the California/Oregon border and along the Lower Klamath NWR, just at sunrise. 

And a gorgeous sunrise it was!

Besides the cows that were grazing peacefully, there were plenty of hawks getting ready to hunt. 

It was still pretty dark when I took these photos so they're a bit grainy, but clear. 

I think he felt it was too early for closeups, so off he flew! 

I turned onto the refuge road and was rewarded with my very first bald eagle sighting!  

And of course, more hawks waiting for prey. 

Now that it was light, I could see the beautiful, snowy peaks of Mt. Shasta watching over the refuge. 

And of course, there were many Red-winged Blackbirds singing their boisterous songs while flitting around.  

I was blessed to see some critters that I did not see my last time here...

First, a flock of pheasants!

And then an entire pack of coyotes!! 

There were about 4-6 that I could see.  It was sooooo cool!

And one field over, was another Bald Eagle sitting near some groundwater. 

It's so amazing to be there so early in the morning.  The air is so crisp and clear and everything is just a wonder to the eyes, ears, and senses. It's so relaxing and peaceful.

Another Bald Eagle, this one in flight. 

There were so many Eagles up here that they were even just sitting on the road!  This Baldie was sitting with a Raven couple and just as I tried to get a shot out my window without scaring them off, a Golden flew overhead!!  So amazing!

Bald Eagle with Mount Shasta landscape

Another beauty of a hawk.  They love to sit on the signs and watch for prey!

Love this cool photo!  The tree branches capturing the Bald Eagle looked amazing. 

This is definitely the place to be if you love Raptors!

Not much snow which was one reason I was able to make the drive in January.  But there was still some snow and ice in the canals. 

OMG, I love this next photo.  One of my favorite things about National Wildlife Refuges are the cool barren trees in the water.  

I headed out to Tule Lake and saw a covey of Quail on the side of the road. 

Along with some beautiful deer just up the hillside. 

Next post we'll hit up Tule Lake which was gorgeous.

Ginaatdal' gepgi!

(Come this way! in Klamath)  

xoxo

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From One End of California to the Other! Lower Klamath Basin

It didn't take me long to recover from my amazing weekend in the Southern California deserts and Salton Sea and soon I was back on the road.  It won't take YOU long to catch up if you need to!  Just click on the link(s) below!

1)  The Sonny Bono National Wildlife Refuge and the too-cute Burrowing Owls and Desert Cottontail Rabbits that live in the area.

2)  The hot yet cool Mud Volcanoes and still more adorable Owls and Birds.

3)  The wacky and yet inspiring artistry of Salvation Mountain and Slab City.

4)  Death and Beauty at the Bombay Beach Ruins.

5) Get your kicks on Route 66 and in the gorgeous Mojave Desert!

6) See the gorgeous flowers, lizards, and beetle (yes, singular) that I found as I #TrackedTheBloom.

7) Toot Toot!  Leaving Barstow! But not before one last trip into the desert!

A couple of weekends later, I decided to take a trip that I'd been wanting to do all Winter, but the copious amounts of rain, snow, and ice throughout Northern California had prevented it.  I'd been dying to take the road to the Lower Klamath Basin to see the National Wildlife Refuges there.

I'd heard that bald eagles abound up there in the Winter, but earlier this year I had called and spoke with a ranger who said that, due to the drought, it was not as common to see them clustered together.  He said they are still there, but just spaced out more due to lack of snow and ice.  This winter they had a LOT of snow and ice but he recommended that I not make the drive until mid-March because I'm a flat-lander who isn't used to driving on snow/ice.

I took his advice and, when I had a day off of work that most people don't get (not to mention my daughter was working from my home and preferred that I not be there to stress her out!) I decided to get up early in the morning and make the drive.

I left around 2:00 a.m. which was perfect because I reached beautiful, snow-covered Mount Shasta just as the sun started rising in the East.  It was fu%&ing freezing!  But I stopped for a few photos because how could I not?

After getting some amazing shots, I hopped back on Highway 97 and headed North towards the Oregon border. 

In the opposite direction, the sunrise was extremely vivid and when I reached the Grass Lake rest stop, I couldn't resist pulling over for another couple photos.  Luckily there was a beautiful goose or swan on the lake in just the perfect, photogenic spot.

I didn't stop again until I reached the Lower Klamath NWR on Highway 161.  I stopped at the vista point to get my first look at the refuge. 

As I stood there, taking photos of Shasta, a large bird overflew me.  In an EXTREMELY good sign, the first bird I saw was a Golden Eagle!

 I snapped away as it flew over the refuge...

And then turned to see from whence it came.  To my excitement, I could see two more large eagles sitting in the farmer's field across the street!!  Another golden and my first bald eagle of the day.

I got back in my car and turned onto the refuge.  I stopped at the information kiosk and took a little walk to a viewing platform to stretch my legs after the 6 hour drive.  There were tons of blackbirds around, puffed up to stay warm.  

I headed out on the 10-mile auto-tour to see what I could see.  Fun fact:  Lower Klamath is our Nation's first established waterfowl refuge established by Teddy Roosevelt in 1908.  There were quite a few waterfowl floating and flitting around.  Including two of my favorites, Cinnamon Teal...

 ...and Northern Shoveler.

The birds here seemed a bit more skittish than at other refuges I've visited.  Maybe because it's more remote up here.  I found quite a few Lesser Scaup which I hadn't spotted at other places this year. 

And then I saw eagle numba 4!  Now, I will say that I think this may have been the same Golden as the first eagle I saw.  But since I can't be sure, I'm going to count this as number 4. 

From huge to little, the next birds I saw were those beautiful bandits, Tree Swallows.

And then I saw Bald Eagle number two (total eagle number 5!)!  Woot!  This guy was in a tree where the light was pretty tricky.  He looked like he was just head deep in a good meal!  Or took a header into the mud...one of the two. 

 The tree he was in made for some cool photos.

And then I guess he got tired of the paparazzo and flew away!  Which I actually caught! 

Now this next guy was very hard to see and determine what, exactly, he is.  I know it's a raptor of some sort, and maybe a bald eagle.  But it definitely was smaller (even though it was at a distance, it didn't look as big as the eagles sitting in the field for instance) and the coloring seems different around the beak.  

I dunno.  Back to waterfowl. There were large populations of Buffleheads.

 And Ruddy Ducks.

 More Northern Shovelers.

 I was pretty obsessed with trying to capture a decent flight picture. lol

And then I found another bald eagle!  Number 2 again?  Or is this now BE #3?  I don't know.  He was pretty far away and in the general direction that BE2 had flown. 

I finished the auto-tour and turned back onto Hwy 161 to head to Tule Lake NWR and the visitor center.  Along the way, I saw this behemoth sitting on the side of the road.  We'll call this BE4 just in case (and Eagle #6 including the raptor that may have been a juvenile).

#SorryNotSorry I stopped my damn car in the middle of the road (there was no shoulder really), grabbed the Nikon, and squeezed off a few quick shots.  Mr. America did NOT approve. 

I reached the visitor center - there is one for the entire complex - and went inside to talk to the rangers and ask a ton of questions. lol  But had to snap this shot of the marsh trail across the street first.  

Inside the visitor center, the back wall is made of glass and they have a beautiful little area outside with feeders and a little waterway.  There were so many birds out there!  Including a covey of California Quails, which I unfortunately didn't get a photo of because I was talking so much!  When I turned back to the window, they had already scurried off. 

 Spotted Towhee!

They also have a couple of resident squirrels.  

I left the visitor center to head to Tule Lake but first I felt prompted to pull into the parking lot across the street.  I had seen some ground critters - prairie dogs?  I have no idea but they were cute!

And then.  THE most amazing thing happened.  Yes, I would even say more amazing then seeing all the eagles (just by a smidge).  I saw a bobcat!!!  OMG!

He had apparently just caught his breakfast and wasn't sure if I was coming to take it away.  These photos looked SOOO clear in my little camera window so I was a bit bummed that they are all slightly blurry.  

But not really because it was sooooo COOL!  I've never seen a wild cat before!  So excited!

He soon decided he would be safer up the tree. 

"Ha ha human!  What ya going to do now?"

Okay, kitty kitty.  Enjoy your meal in peace.  

And with that, I was off to visit Tule Lake and see what else was out there.  I can't wait to share what I saw!

xoxo

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